As global warming rapidly melts glaciers in the Arctic and high mountains, a study has found that the speed at which glaciers retreat varies depending on terrain and ocean conditions.
Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) said on the 21st that it analyzed glacier changes in the Arctic Svalbard region over the past 15,000 years and identified the terrain and ocean factors that control glacier retreat. The study is evaluated as the first scientific proof that not only climate but also the geomorphic environment has a major impact on glacier stability.
The research was conducted based on data collected during a 2019 international joint expedition by Korea and Norway led by Dr. Nam Seung-il of Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI). The team secured seafloor topographic data and sediment core samples in the Bellsund fjord area in the southern Svalbard Archipelago of Norway and reconstructed glacier movements and environmental changes over about 15,000 years. A fjord is a canyon-shaped bay formed when seawater fills a valley carved by a glacier.
The analysis found that even under the same climate conditions, the rate and pattern of glacier melt differed depending on the structure of the fjord, the shape of the seabed, and the inflow path of seawater. In other words, a rise in air temperature alone cannot easily explain the speed of glacier retreat.
The team particularly found that the breakwater-like terrain in the Bellsund area acted as a buffer that slowed rapid glacier retreat during past warm periods. As the fjord's mouth is narrow and the water depth changes gradually, warm offshore water was identified as being unable to easily intrude toward the glacier.
As a result, it is highly likely that the glacier persisted longer, which is interpreted as evidence that terrain and ocean conditions together influence glacier stability.
Lead author Dr. Cho Young-jin said, "This study shows that not only climate change but also terrain and ocean environments influence each other to determine glacier behavior."
Dr. Nam, who led the research, said, "These results will serve as important data to make glacier prediction models for high-latitude regions more precise going forward."
The study was carried out with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT, with researchers from Korea, Norway, Germany, and China participating together. The findings were published on Feb. 21 in the international journal "Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology."
Shin Hyeong-cheol, head of Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), said, "We are seeking clues in the traces of climate change left in the polar regions to forecast the future of humanity," adding, "This study is a meaningful achievement that suggests a direction for glacier research in the era of climate change."
References
Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2025PA005207