Above-average temperatures in winter 2026<\/a>\u2014particularly in June<\/a>\u2014were partly responsible for so much bare ice in October<\/a>, said glaciologist Mauri Pelto of Nichols College. The ice exposed on Vega and nearby islands indicates limited new snow accumulation over the winter, further reduced by sublimation and wind scouring, he said. \u201cThe winter season was no treat for these glaciers.\u201d<\/p>\n The melt season ahead may also be more trick than treat. Bare ice is darker than snow and absorbs more solar energy, meaning that melting is poised to speed up as the days grow longer and warmer. \u201cEven a thin cover of new snow from a spring storm would be helpful in the short run,\u201d Pelto said. \u201cWhen entombed in snow and ice, the skull is preserved. But when exposed to melt, it weathers away, which will lead to a changing jawline and expanding eye socket.\u201d<\/p>\n The first comprehensive mapping of Vega Island\u2019s ice was aided by Landsat imagery. In a study published in 1982<\/a>, scientists described the island\u2019s four ice caps with protruding rocky cliffs and outlet glaciers. They leveraged early Landsat observations along with aerial photos and topographic maps to catalog 29 glaciers on Vega.<\/p>\n Of those glaciers, Devil\u2019s Bay Glacier has been closely monitored<\/a> since the austral summer of 1998-1999, with researchers measuring an overall decline<\/a> in its mass. Satellite images acquired in recent decades<\/a> show ice loss from other glaciers on the island as well, with increased areas of exposed bedrock.<\/p>\n Long before scientists began tracking its glaciers, Vega was a bright spot in a tale of terror born out of early exploration of the area. The Swedish Antarctic Expedition<\/a> of 1901-1903 set out to study the geography, geology, climate, and wildlife on and around the eastern Antarctic Peninsula. The party became split into three groups during their explorations, isolated for a winter in different locations. Adding to the horror, they lost their ship<\/a> to the pack ice. Cape Well-met, as it would come to be known, off the \u201cforehead\u201d of the Vega Island skull, was the site of a happy reunion of two of the groups in spring 1903. Soon thereafter, an Argentinean expedition rescued the survivors of the ordeal.<\/p>\n NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey<\/a>. Story by Lindsey Doermann.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t From a Glaciers Perspective (2026, October 24) Snow Free Glacier Surfaces on Antarctic Peninsula October\u00a02026<\/a>. Accessed October 28, 2026.<\/p>\n From a Glaciers Perspective (2012, January 22) Northwest Vega Island, Antarctica Glacier\u00a0Retreat<\/a>. Accessed October 28, 2026.<\/p>\n Rabassa, J., et al. (1982) Glacier Inventory of James Ross and Vega Islands, Antarctic Peninsula<\/a>. Annals of Glaciology, 3, 260\u2013264.<\/p>\n Skvarca, P., et al. (2004) Mass balance of \u2018Glaciar Bah\u00eda del Diablo\u2019, Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula<\/a>. Annals of Glaciology, 39, 209\u2013213.<\/p>\n South-Pole, Otto Nordenskj\u00f6ld<\/a>. Accessed October 28, 2026.<\/p>\n Swoop Antarctica (2024, October 8) The greatest Antarctic survival story you\u2019ve never heard of<\/a>. Accessed October 28, 2026.<\/p>\n![\"Part](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1793341329_687_cq5dam.thumbnail.319.319.png\")
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