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A New Map Tracks the World’s Largest Glaciers

A visualization compares the forms of Earth’s largest flows of ice

Graphic shows shapes and sizes of the largest glaciers and glacier complexes in each of 19 world regions.
Credit:

Amanda Montañez


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Scientists recently created the first systematic ranking of Earth’s largest glaciers. They started by comparing inconsistent databases to select the forms that best fit the definition of a glacier—a long-lasting, flowing mass of ice. Determining the borders of individual glaciers, however, is challenging. Ice caps, for example, move in multiple directions, so more than one glacier may be part of a single source. “Flow divides can be difficult to calculate,” says co-author Bruce Raup of the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).

At lower elevations, glaciers can converge, making it unclear whether they count as one or more bodies. Despite the challenges, the results tabulate more than 200,000 glaciers and glacier complexes (glaciers that share a common border). Seller Glacier and the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Body top the list, respectively. “The more accurately we can map glacier outlines, the better we can track their melting due to climate change,” says lead author Ann Windnagel of the NSIDC.

Graphic shows shapes and sizes of the largest glaciers and glacier complexes in each of 19 world regions.

Credit: Amanda Montañez; Source: “Which Glaciers Are the Largest in the World?” by Ann Windnagel et al., in Journal of Glaciology; 2022 (glacier shapes and map reference)

Theo Nicitopoulos is a freelance writer who covers Earth and space science news.

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Amanda Montañez has been a graphics editor at Scientific American since 2015. She produces and art directs information graphics for the Scientific American website and print magazine. Amanda has a bachelor's degree in studio art from Smith College and a master's in biomedical communications from the University of Toronto. Before starting in journalism, she worked as a freelance medical illustrator.

More by Amanda Montañez
Scientific American Magazine Vol 328 Issue 1This article was originally published with the title “World's Largest Glaciers” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 328 No. 1 (), p. 62
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0123-62