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Learning English from the News

Upper intermediate level

Fastest glacier melt in modern history

Episode 251105 / 05 Nov 2025

(Photo via Getty Images)

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The story

In late 2022, an Antarctic glacier, named Hektoria, shrunk by nearly 50% in just two months.

According to a new study, this was the fastest a glacier has retreated that scientists have recorded in modern history. Retreated means it melted and got smaller. 

Hektoria is a type of glacier which rests on the seabed and doesn’t float. Glaciers like this generally retreat only a few hundred metres a year. But between November and December 2022, Hektoria retreated by 8 km, according to the study.

Scientists are concerned because if more glaciers like this shrink as quickly, there could be a much faster rise in sea-level.

News headlines

Antarctic glacier's alarming retreat is the fastest ever seen
New Scientist 

Antarctic glacier saw the fastest retreat in modern history; it could spell trouble for sea levels, report finds
CNN

Antarctic glacier's rapid retreat sparks scientific 'whodunnit'
BBC News

Key words and phrases

alarming
cause fear or worry 

  • The nurse called for help when the patient had an alarming drop in blood pressure.

spell trouble
cause trouble

  • A new supermarket could spell trouble for smaller local shops.

whodunnit
a story about a mystery or a crime 

  • When money went missing from the business accounts, it turned into a whodunnit.

Next 

Find all our news programmes.

Learn more about the environment in English with this topic page. 

Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room. 

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