Scientists uncover hundreds of hidden glacial quakes beneath Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier

Using on-site seismic sensors, scientists detected over 360 glacier-induced seismic events across Antarctica from 2010 to 2023, many of which are absent from existing earthquake catalogs. The majority—245 events—were located at the marine edge of the Thwaites Glacier, often interpreted as glacial earthquakes generated when massive icebergs detach, overturn and collide with the glacier front. This surge in activity peaked between 2018 and 2020, matching a period when satellite data showed the glacier’s ice tongue speeding up, likely driven by evolving oceanic conditions.

A secondary group of tremors was identified near Pine Island Glacier, though their distance from the shoreline makes iceberg capsizing an unlikely cause, leaving their mechanism unresolved. The findings, published in Geophysical Research Letters, highlight the potential of Antarctic glacial earthquakes to illuminate the stability of key marine-terminating glaciers and improve projections of future sea-level rise. Further research is needed to clarify the Pine Island signals and to assess how ocean-ice interactions may trigger such seismic activity.