Pine Island Glacier

The Pine Island Glacier is one of the largest ice tongues in West Antarctica. At the same time, it flows faster than most other glaciers to the sea. For a long time, it was slowed down by the Pine Island Ice Shelf, which floats in the ocean like a barrier. However, data from Ian Joughin of the University of Washington and his team show that this ice shelf broke up at an accelerated rate between 2017 and 2020, and the glacier behind it picked up speed significantly.