An epic glacier collapse has been caught on camera. The glacier collapse happened in Argentina’s Patagonia region.
This epic glacier collapse was captured by amateur photographer Christian Grosso.
In the video a massive ice bridge connected to the glacier ruptured and fell into the lake below, causing a massive wave.
The glacier, known as Perito Moreno, is one of the largest in Patagonia, a region at the southern tip of South America, according to the NASA Earth Observatory. Perito Moreno differs from other glaciers in that it periodically cuts off the major southern arm of Lake Argentino, known as Brazo Rico, by forming a natural dam and preventing water from transferring between the two bodies of water.
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“This glacier is somewhat unique in that its path takes it across an arm of a large lake,” NASA scientist Jim Foster told OurAmazingPlanet. Foster also curates the Earth Science Picture of the Day, which featured Grosso’s photo. “Most glaciers don’t have such trajectories, so bridging and tunneling, at least at this scale, is rather rare.”
Grosso got to witness the rare event on Saturday, Jan. 19, at about 7:15 p.m. local time; there were only 20 to 30 visitors present at the time, he said. Luckily, Grosso was far enough away that the rush of water didn’t affect him, he told OurAmazingPlanet.