Pio XI Glacier, the largest glacier of the Patagonian ice field, has been advancing for years, says reader J Philip Petersen.
It’s kind of like Hubbard Glacier in Alaska (the largest tidewater glacier in North America) and Taku Glacier (the largest glacier in the Juneau Ice field), says Petersen.
Petersen is correct. However, you have to do your homework in order to discover that information.
Pio XI Glacier – Courtesy Wikipedia
According to Wikipedia, the Brüggen Glacier, also known as Pío XI Glacier, is the largest western outflow from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Now about 66 km (41 mi) in length, it is the longest glacier in the southern hemisphere outside of Antarctica.
“Unlike most glaciers worldwide, it advanced significantly from 1945 to 1976,” says Wikipedia. “Brüggen surged 5 km (3.1 mi) across the Eyre Fjord, reaching the western shore by 1962 and cutting off Lake Greve from the sea. The glacier continued advancing both northward and southward in the fjord to near its present position before stabilizing.
“Stabilyzing.” Hmm. This makes it seem that Pio XI stopped advancing in 1976, doesn’t it?
But no, it was still advancing in 2005.
The caption accompanying a travel photo taken in 2005 said that the Pio XI glacier was advancing about 2 meters (almost 7 feet) per day.
But it has surely stopped advancing by now, right? Right?
No again. Pio XI is still advancing.
Look at the box on the right side of the Wikipedia page, and you’ll see Pio XI’s status listed as “advancing.”
Do you see pattern here? asks Petersen. “The largest tidewater glaciers are advancing.”
Interesting how the largest glacier in Chile can be advancing, and yet no one mentions it.
You don’t suppose there’s some kind of agenda, do you?
Wikipedia Bruggen page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Br%C3%BCggen_Glacier
Travel photo:
http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/136308
Thanks to J Philip Petersen for this reminder
In case it should mysteriously disappear, here’s a screen shot of that part of the Wikipedia page that says the glacier is advancing .
Screen shot taken on 9 April 2015
By the way, I posted about this glacier many years ago on iceagenow.com
http://www.iceagenow.com/Pio_XI-Largest_glacier_in_Chile-Growing_every_day.htm
