07/08/2008
Argentina's Perito Moreno Glacier has begun a rare winter rupture. Officials at the National Park Los Glaciares, in Santa Cruz Province, said there was no record of such an ice break during the southern hemisphere's winter months of June through August, although breaks during summer melts happen regularly. The break began on Friday morning, officials said.
The rupture is in the ice block which acts as a dam between the two halves of the Argentino Lake. An official said the rupture could be caused by global warming.
The Perito Moreno glacier cuts Lake Argentino in two. Water flows beneath the ice when the level on one side of the lake rises higher than the other. The rushing water erodes the ice and sometimes causes it to collapse.
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