Perito Moreno Glacier experiences accelerated retreat in 2026

Scientific studies indicate that the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina's Los Glaciares National Park is undergoing an accelerated retreat. Research led by scientists including Moritz Koch, Cristiano Sommer, and Matthias H. Braun reveals that the annual descent rate of the frontal surface has increased significantly, rising from 0.34 meters per year between 2000 and 2019 to approximately 5.5 meters per year between 2019 and 2024.

Monitoring conducted via Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in early 2026 showed that the glacier's front retreated 910 meters from the Magallanes Peninsula in a 100-day period, surpassing measurements taken in 1899. The glacier lost an additional 0.65 km² of surface area during the autumn of 2026, contributing to a total recent loss of 1.46 km² when combined with the 2025-2026 summer period.

Researchers utilized ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and bathymetric surveys in Lago Argentino to reconstruct the subglacial bed topography to better understand these changes.