Ilulissat Glacier Sheds Mile of Ice as Loss Outpaces 20th Century

Exposure Labs

The unprecedented 75-minute collapse of a Lower Manhattan-sized ice shelf documents an accelerating retreat that saw the glacier lose more ice in a single decade than across the entire preceding century.

AI-assisted summary of "CHASING ICE" captures largest glacier calving ever filmed - OFFICIAL VIDEO — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published: 2012-12-14

Key ideas

On May 28, 2008, the Extreme Ice Survey captured a historic 75-minute calving event at Greenland's Ilulissat Glacier, recognized as the largest ground-recorded calving event in history. (0:02)
The glacier retreated about a mile across a three-mile-wide face, shedding an ice mass equivalent to 3,000 U.S. Capitol Buildings in less than an hour and a half. (0:02)
Subsurface pressure during the collapse propelled massive ice chunks up to 600 feet out of the water, far exceeding the 300-to-400-foot height of the visible calving face. (0:02)
Data reveals a massive acceleration in glacier retreat, with the Ilulissat Glacier receding 9 miles between 2000 and 2010—more in a single decade than the 8 miles it retreated during the entire 20th century. (2:46)

Detailed notes

## Background Published on YouTube in 2012 by the channel Exposure Labs, this video presents rare footage captured by the Extreme Ice Survey team led by James Balog. The content showcases what the 2016 Guinness Book of World Records officially designated as the largest and longest-lasting glacier calving event ever recorded by ground-based observers.

## TL;DR On May 28, 2008, filmmakers Adam LeWinter and Jeff Orlowski-Yang documented a massive, 75-minute calving event at Greenland's Ilulissat Glacier. The footage captures a three-mile-wide section of the glacier breaking apart, losing a volume of ice equivalent to 3,000 U.S. Capitol Buildings. The event highlights a staggering acceleration in glacier retreat, noting that the ice shelf lost more ground in the decade between 2000 and 2010 than it had throughout the entire preceding century.

## Atmosphere & style The atmosphere is one of profound awe mixed with existential dread as the filmmakers witness an event of overwhelming physical scale. The tone shifts from the casual, mundane nature of a field report to stunned disbelief, punctuated by the observers' frantic reactions as the landscape fractures. It creates a visceral sense of human insignificance, framed by an analogy that likens the collapsing glacier to the destruction of an entire city, ultimately leaving the viewer with a feeling of both miracle and horror.

## Bulletin - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=2s) On May 28, 2008, the Extreme Ice Survey captured a historic 75-minute calving event at Greenland's Ilulissat Glacier, recognized as the largest ground-recorded calving event in history. - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=2s) The glacier retreated about a mile across a three-mile-wide face, shedding an ice mass equivalent to 3,000 U.S. Capitol Buildings in less than an hour and a half. - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=2s) Subsurface pressure during the collapse propelled massive ice chunks up to 600 feet out of the water, far exceeding the 300-to-400-foot height of the visible calving face. - [02:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=166s) Data reveals a massive acceleration in glacier retreat, with the Ilulissat Glacier receding 9 miles between 2000 and 2010—more in a single decade than the 8 miles it retreated during the entire 20th century.

## Key takeaways - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=2s) The Extreme Ice Survey team maintained a 24/7 vigil at Greenland's Ilulissat Glacier to document a major calving event. - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=2s) Observers Adam LeWinter and Jeff Orlowski-Yang captured the historic 75-minute calving event on May 28, 2008. - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=2s) The event is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest glacier calving ever captured on film by ground-based observers. - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=2s) The calving event was unexpectedly triggered and caught on camera during a routine satellite phone check-in with director James Balog. - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=2s) The glacier's calving face spanned three miles wide, with visible ice heights standing 300 to 400 feet above the water line. - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=2s) Subsurface pressure forced massive chunks of ice to shoot 600 feet straight up out of the ocean before collapsing. - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=2s) The total height of the ice face approached 3,000 feet, with the vast majority of the glacier's mass submerged below the water's surface. - [02:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=166s) In less than 90 minutes, the glacier lost a piece of ice equivalent in size to 3,000 U.S. Capitol Buildings. - [02:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=166s) To convey the scale, observers compared the event to watching the entire lower tip of Manhattan break apart and collapse. - [02:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=166s) The thickness of the calving ice shelf was estimated to be 2.5 to 3 times taller than the skyscrapers of New York City. - [02:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=166s) James Balog described the event as a 'magical miraculous horrible scary thing,' representing both a miracle and a horror of nature. - [02:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=166s) The Ilulissat Glacier's rate of retreat has accelerated dramatically in the 21st century. - [02:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=166s) Between 1900 and 2000, the glacier retreated a total of 8 miles over the course of a full century. - [02:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=166s) Between 2000 and 2010, the glacier retreated 9 miles, shedding more ice in a single decade than in the preceding 100 years.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=2s) The Outbreak of the Massive Calving Event

During a routine satellite phone check-in from their camp overlooking the Ilulissat Glacier, an observer reports back to Extreme Ice Survey director James Balog that camp conditions are stable despite harsh weather. The observer tells him, “Jim, just nothing's happening, it's going well, we had some serious bouts of wind, but other than that, things are fairly well set up.” Mid-sentence, the landscape abruptly begins to fracture. Catching sight of the ice shifting, he urgently interrupts himself to alert his camp partner, Adam LeWinter: “It's starting, Adam, I think—hang on, it's starting. Let me call you back, okay, bye!”

Rushing to the cameras, the team begins filming the colossal rupture unfolding across the fjord. They watch in awe and disbelief as massive spires and towers collapse into the water, shouting out real-time observations of the catastrophic breakup: “Holy shit, look at that!” Huge pinnacles and bergs roll over, destabilizing adjacent fields of ice across a vast front. As the face shatters, giant slabs surge upward from below the waterline before crashing down into the churning sea. The observers note that while the visible calving face stands roughly 300 to 400 feet above the ocean surface, submerged pressure forces colossal chunks of ice to breach and rocket 600 feet straight up out of the water before toppling into the fjord.

- The survey crew witnessed and recorded what became the largest glacier calving event ever captured on tape by ground-based observers. - The exposed wall of ice along the calving face reached heights of 300 to 400 feet above the water line. - Subsurface ice masses were propelled upward out of the ocean to heights reaching 600 feet before collapsing.

[02:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=166s) Human Scale and the Manhattan Comparison

To convey the sheer physical magnitude of the event, the observers search for an analogy grounded in human architecture. The only conceivable comparison is envisioning an entire metropolis collapsing at once: “The only way that you can really try to put it into scale with human references is if you imagine Manhattan, and all of a sudden all of those buildings just start to rumble and quake and peel off, and just fall over and fall over and roll around—this whole massive city just breaking apart in front of your eyes.” Perched on the adjacent mountainside, the filmmakers realized their own insignificance against the landscape, describing themselves as just two tiny dots watching an unprecedented spectacle of natural destruction.

Visual illustrations reinforce the comparison to New York City. The chunk of ice lost in this single event is comparable to the entire lower tip of Manhattan breaking away, with the crucial difference that the glacier’s ice shelf is two-and-a-half to three times the height of the skyscrapers themselves. Reflecting on the profound psychological and environmental weight of the footage, James Balog observes: “That's a magical miraculous horrible scary thing. I don't know that anybody's really seeing the miracle and horror of that.” This dramatic collapse underscores an unprecedented acceleration in glacier retreat: between 1900 and 2000, the glacier receded 8 miles over the course of a century; between 2000 and 2010, it retreated 9 miles, shedding more ice in a single decade than it had in the preceding 100 years.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Ilulissat Glacier Retreat Timeline accDescr: Comparison of Ilulissat Glacier retreat between the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century.

subgraph Century["1900–2000 (100 Years)"] A["Total retreat: 8 miles"] end

subgraph Decade["2000–2010 (10 Years)"] B["Total retreat: 9 miles"] end

Century -.->|"Rate of retreat accelerates dramatically"| Decade ```

- **Scale of Disintegration:** Equivalent to the entire lower tip of Manhattan shearing off, with ice thickness measuring 2.5 to 3 times taller than the skyline's buildings. - **Century-Long Retreat (1900–2000):** The glacier retreated 8 miles across 100 years. - **Decadal Acceleration (2000–2010):** The glacier retreated 9 miles in just 10 years, surpassing a century's worth of retreat in a single decade.

## Mentioned Chasing Ice, Extreme Ice Survey, James Balog, Ilulissat Glacier, Adam LeWinter, Jeff Orlowski-Yang, Greenland, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. Capitol Building, Guinness Book of World Records, Sundance Film Festival, Emmy Award, J. Ralph, Scarlett Johansson, Joshua Bell

## Video description This rare footage has gone on record as the longest-lasting and largest glacier calving event ever captured on film by ground-based observers by the 2016 Guinness Book of World Records.

In May 2008, the Extreme Ice Survey, led by James Balog, maintained a 24/7 cinematic vigil at the Ilulissat Glacier on Greenland’s west coast, hoping to document a major calving event.

On May 28, 2008, Adam LeWinter and Jeff Orlowski-Yang recorded a 75-minute calving moment—the largest glacier calving event ever captured on film by ground-based observers. The glacier retreated about a mile across a calving face three miles wide, with ice heights approaching 3,000 feet, roughly 300–400 feet above water and the remainder below the surface. In less than an hour and a half, the glacier lost a piece of ice equivalent in size to 3,000 U.S. Capitol Buildings.

Footage produced by James Balog (http://jamesbalog.com) and the Extreme Ice Survey (http://extremeicesurvey.org)

Chasing Ice won the award for Excellence in Cinematography at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and a 2013 Emmy Award for Outstanding Nature Programming. It has won over 40 awards at festivals worldwide, and was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, "Before My Time" by J. Ralph featuring Scarlett Johansson and Joshua Bell.

Listen to the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB4UEQzUmWc And watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIZTMVNBjc4

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU)

中文简报

伊卢利萨特冰川崩解一英里冰层，消融速度超越20世纪面积相当于下曼哈顿区的冰架在75分钟内发生前所未有的坍塌，记录表明其退缩正在加剧，该冰川在短短十年间损失的冰量超过了此前整整一个世纪。 2008年5月28日，电影制作人亚当·勒温特（Adam LeWinter）和杰夫·奥尔洛夫斯基-杨（Jeff Orlowski-Yang）记录了格陵兰岛伊卢利萨特冰川长达75分钟的大规模崩解过程。镜头捕捉到该冰川宽达三英里的区域发生碎裂，损失的冰体体积相当于3000座美国国会大厦。该事件突显了冰川退缩的惊人加速，并指出该冰架在2000年至2010年的十年间缩减的范围，比此前整整一个世纪还要多。 2008年5月28日，“极端冰川调查”（Extreme Ice Survey）记录了格陵兰岛伊卢利萨特冰川长达75分钟的历史性崩解事件，被公认为有地面记录以来规模最大的一次崩解。 (0:02) 在不到一个半小时的时间内，该冰川在三英里宽的断面上后退了约一英里，崩解脱落的冰体质量相当于3000座美国国会大厦。 (0:02) 坍塌期间的水下压力将巨大的冰块推离水面高达600英尺，远超肉眼可见崩解面300至400英尺的高度。 (0:02) 数据显示冰川退缩急剧加速：伊卢利萨特冰川在2000年至2010年间退缩了9英里，仅这十年的退缩距离就超过了整个20世纪退缩的8英里。 (2:46)

Reading summary

Footage recorded by the Extreme Ice Survey at the Ilulissat Glacier captured the largest glacier calving event ever filmed from the ground, illustrating a profound decadal acceleration in glacial retreat. Scale and Dynamics of the Calving Event (0:02) While conducting a check-in with Extreme Ice Survey director James Balog, camp observers witnessed the sudden fracture and collapse of the Ilulissat Glacier. The calving face, which stood between 300 and 400 feet above the water line, ruptured across a broad front, destabilizing adjacent fields of ice as massive spires and bergs rolled over into the fjord. The breakup extended significantly below the waterline. Driven by subsurface pressure, colossal slabs and pinnacles breached and surged up to 600 feet straight out of the ocean before toppling into the sea, representing an unprecedented visual record of ground-observed glacial collapse. Urban Comparisons and Accelerated Glacial Retreat (2:46) To convey the scale of the destruction, observers analogized the event to the entire lower tip of Manhattan crumbling and rolling over, with the crucial distinction that the glacier's ice shelf stood 2.5 to 3 times taller than the city's skyscrapers. Balog described the psychological weight of witnessing the spectacle as both a "miracle and horror" that underscores the sheer scale of ice loss. This single event is situated within an unprecedented acceleration in the glacier's retreat. While the Ilulissat Glacier receded a total of 8 miles across the 100-year span from 1900 to 2000, it retreated 9 miles in the single decade between 2000 and 2010, losing more ice in ten years than during the entire preceding century. The recorded collapse provides visual evidence of rapid structural destabilization at the Ilulissat Glacier, highlighting that decadal ice loss rates have substantially outpaced twentieth-century baselines.

精炼阅读摘要

极端冰川调查团队在格陵兰伊卢利萨特冰川记录下地面观测史上最大规模的冰川崩解事件，展现了极地冰川消融速率在近十年来远超过去一个世纪的剧烈加速态势。冰川崩解实录与水下高压动力机制 (0:02) 极端冰川调查团队在俯瞰伊卢利萨特冰川的营地值守时，通过卫星电话向负责人詹姆斯·巴洛格（James Balog）汇报天气与营地稳定情况，通话期间冰川前缘突然发生剧烈断裂。现场观测人员随即中断汇报并与搭档亚当·勒温特（Adam LeWinter）启动摄像设备，完整记录下了这一峡湾冰体全面瓦解的过程。大量巨大冰尖塔和冰山相继崩塌并翻滚，引发了整片毗连冰原的连锁性失稳。现场观测显示，冰川露出海平面以上的断崖高度约为300至400英尺。伴随冰面断裂，受海面下方巨大的水下浮力与压力驱使，潜伏水底的巨型冰块以极高动能垂直冲出海面，向上弹射高达600英尺后才坠入汹涌的峡湾海水中，构成了地面摄制团队迄今记录到规模最为庞大的冰川崩解动态过程。曼哈顿尺度参照下的庞大崩塌体量 (2:46) 为了向公众直观呈现这一崩塌的物理量级，观测人员将其与人类城市建筑进行了对比。他们指出，要理解这一事件的真实体量，唯一可参照的类比就是想象整个曼哈顿下城区域的所有摩天大楼突然轰鸣震颤并成片剥离，整座大都市在眼前持续倾覆与翻滚。面对如此庞大的自然力量，处于邻近山壁上的两名观测人员深感人类自身的渺小。相关视觉分析证实，单次崩解事件中所损失的冰体规模相当于曼哈顿整个下端地块彻底断裂分离。更为显著的是，该处崩解冰架的实际垂直厚度是曼哈顿摩天大楼群高度的2.5倍至3倍，其释放的物质体量远超寻常视觉经验所能容纳的范畴。历史退缩对比与消融进程的急剧加速 (2:46) 此次崩塌不仅是一次极端的单体自然事件，更反映出冰川后退速率的历史性剧变。历史记录表明，在1900年至2000年的整整一个世纪中，伊卢利萨特冰川累计后退了8英里；而在2000年至2010年的短短十年内，该冰川后退幅度就达到了9英里，十年间的消融总量已然超过了此前一百年的总和。极端冰川调查团队负责人詹姆斯·巴洛格在审视这些影像时评价，这一幕既展现出不可思议的神奇，又充满了令人悚然的恐怖感，并认为外界或许尚未真正看清这一巨大转变背后所蕴含的严酷现实。詹姆斯·巴洛格指出，尽管崩解过程已被镜头客观记录，但世人是否真正理解其展现的奇迹与恐怖仍未可知；十年退缩量超越过去一整个世纪的加速现实，揭示出极地冰川正在经历前所未有的剧烈消融。

Detailed notes — zh

## Background 该视频由 Exposure Labs 于 2012 年 12 月 14 日发布在 YouTube 平台上。视频记录了纪录片《追逐冰川》（Chasing Ice）中由“极致冰川调查”（Extreme Ice Survey）团队捕捉到的历史性画面，展现了格陵兰岛伊卢利萨特冰川长达 75 分钟的超大规模崩塌事件，这一片段被吉尼斯世界纪录认证为地面观测者拍摄到的历时最长、规模最大的冰川崩解过程。 ## TL;DR 在格陵兰岛的日常驻守观测中，考察队员意外目击并抢拍下了伊卢利萨特冰川前所未有的剧烈崩解。露出水面三四百英尺高的巨大冰崖发生连锁坍塌，甚至有潜藏在水下的巨冰受力反弹至 600 英尺的高空，其单次崩落体量相当于摩天大楼林立的曼哈顿下城尖端连根拔起并彻底瓦解。这一毁灭性奇观展现出惊人的自然力量，更揭示出残酷的气候现实：该冰川在 2000 年至 2010 年短短十年间的退缩距离，就已经超过了此前整整一个世纪的退缩总量。 ## Atmosphere & style 全片充斥着一种从平静等待骤然转向极度惊骇的情绪过山车。手持镜头伴随着考察队员急促慌乱的呼吸与难以置信的惊呼，极具现场临场感与纪实冲击力；随后低沉肃穆的旁白则在宏大与毁灭之间游走，带来一种兼具壮丽奇迹与末日惊悚的压迫感，令观者在城市级体量轰然瓦解的视觉震撼中，深切体会到人类在狂暴自然面前的微不足道与战栗不安。 ## Bulletin - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=2s) “极致冰川调查”团队在格陵兰岛伊卢利萨特冰川成功记录下一场长达75分钟的崩塌，被吉尼斯世界纪录认证为地面观测者拍摄到的史上最大规模冰川崩塌事件。 - [02:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=149s) 单次崩塌事件中冰川退缩约1英里、崩塌面宽达3英里，崩落的冰体总量相当于3000座美国国会大厦，或整座曼哈顿下城尖端冰层整体剥离。 - [02:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=149s) 冰川断面上冰崖高300至400英尺，崩塌瞬间因巨大浮力与重力反弹，破碎巨冰一度从海面冲向空中高达600英尺。 - [03:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=198s) 伊卢利萨特冰川在2000年至2010年仅10年间便退缩了9英里，其消退幅度与速率远超1900年至2000年整整一个世纪退缩8英里的总和。 ## Key takeaways - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=2s) 考察队员在常规卫星电话汇报工作时突遇冰川异动，紧急中断通话并抢拍下罕见的大规模崩落开端。 - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=2s) 该崩塌过程持续长达75分钟，创下地面摄影机记录冰川崩塌体量与时长的历史纪录。 - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=2s) 冰川崩塌过程中冰体剧烈翻滚、碎裂并相互推挤入海，激起滔天巨浪并展现出不可抗拒的自然破坏力。 - [02:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=149s) 常态下露出水面的冰壁高度约为300到400英尺，而大部分庞大的冰体结构隐匿于大洋水面之下。 - [02:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=149s) 崩塌造成的巨大受力释放与水体反弹，导致部分巨型冰块自海洋中弹射升空高达600英尺，随后坠回海面。 - [02:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=149s) 叙述者以曼哈顿摩天大楼全线剧烈晃动、层层剥离并轰然倒塌来类比该崩塌的城市级骇人体量。 - [03:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=198s) 崩落的冰体厚度与高度相当于曼哈顿现有摩天大楼的2.5倍至3倍，直观展现了人类建筑物在极地自然尺度下的微小。 - [03:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=198s) 单次崩塌中冰川沿3英里宽的截面整体向后退缩了约1英里，冰体损失量堪比3000座美国国会大厦。 - [03:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=198s) 在1900年至2000年的一百年间冰川退缩8英里，而2000年至2010年仅十年间就退缩了9英里，退缩速率呈现爆发式跃升。 - [03:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=198s) 21世纪前十年的冰川年均退缩速率达20世纪年均速率的11倍以上，成为全球气候变暖加速两极冰盖消融的铁证。 ## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=2s) 突如其来的崩塌与历史性记录的开启在格陵兰岛伊卢利萨特冰川（Ilulissat Glacier）的观测点上，考察队员正通过卫星电话向“极致冰川调查”（Extreme Ice Survey）项目负责人吉姆·巴洛格（James Balog）汇报日常驻守状况。前一刻的通话氛围还极为平静，队员刚报告说现场“什么都没发生，一切顺利”，除了经历过几轮猛烈的强风之外，各项监测设备和营地都已妥善就绪。然而，话音未落，远处的冰川边缘骤然出现异动，队员急促地向同伴喊道：“它开始了，亚当，我想它真的开始了！”随即仓促对电话那头的吉姆交代了一句“我一会儿给你打回去，先挂了”，便迅速投入抢拍。随着镜头的迅速调整与推进，眼前上演了令人瞠目结舌的崩塌奇观。冰川断面上的一处巨大结构应声断裂，庞大的冰体如滚雷般翻滚砸落入海，激起滔天巨浪，目击的考察人员在镜头后忍不住连连爆粗惊呼：“我的天啊，看那边！看那个大家伙正在翻滚！”巨大的冰山在峡湾剧烈翻涌、碎裂并相互推挤，整个崩塌过程持续发酵，展现出大自然狂暴而势不可挡的毁灭性力量。 - 通话汇报原本显示营地仅遭遇强风侵袭，现场一度处于风平浪静的等待状态。 - 突发的大规模崩落迫使队员中断常规汇报电话，即刻转入紧急拍摄状态。 - 现场直击并完整记录了冰川发生剧烈翻转与断裂的初始动态全过程。 ### [02:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=149s) 宛如整座曼哈顿坍塌：惊人的人类参照尺度现场崩塌的体量超出了常规经验的认知范畴。冰川崩塌面的冰崖高度通常在300英尺到400英尺之间（约90至120米），然而在剧烈的重力失衡与水体浮力反弹作用下，部分破碎的巨型冰块甚至从大洋中向高空猛冲出600英尺（约180米），随后重重砸落回海面。为了向观众传达这种超现实的体量感，叙述者尝试借助人类熟悉的城市景观来进行对比。叙述者用震撼的语言描绘了这一灾难性规模：“如果你想用人类的标准去理解它的规模，唯一的办法就是想象整座曼哈顿，突然之间，所有的摩天大楼开始隆隆作响、剧烈颤抖，然后层层剥离、接连倒塌并在地上翻滚，整座庞大无比的城市就在你眼前彻底分崩离析。”这种直观的类比生动呈现了冰川断裂时那种城市级体量轰然瓦解的恐怖震撼。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 冰川崩塌垂直尺度对比 accDescr: 展示伊卢利萨特冰川水上冰崖、水下冰体以及崩塌反弹高度的垂直尺度示意 subgraph Scale["冰川崩塌垂直尺度与动态"] A["常态水上冰崖高耸<br/>300–400 英尺"] --- B["水下潜藏冰体基底<br/>（大部分体量隐藏于海面下）"] B --> C["崩塌受力释放与反弹"] C --> D["巨型冰块自海洋冲向高空<br/>高达 600 英尺并砸落"] end ``` - 冰川露出水面的崩塌垂直冰壁高度约为300至400英尺。 - 崩塌过程中，由于巨大的浮力释放与水力挤压，海面下巨冰瞬间弹射冲出水面高达600英尺。 - 视觉与物理体量相当于纽约曼哈顿岛所有建筑同时震颤、剥离并翻滚倒塌。 ### [03:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=198s) 奇迹与恐怖并存：冰川退缩速度的百年对比面对大自然这一宏伟而令人不寒而栗的巨变，队员们深刻感受到了人类个体的极度渺小。叙述者坦言：“我们只是观察者，只是伫立在山腰上的两个微小黑点；但我们目睹并记录下了有史以来被摄像机捕捉到的最大规模冰川崩塌事件。”为了进一步阐明此次崩塌的骇人体量，片中结合了图示模型进行量化拆解：这一单次事件中崩落的冰体，相当于整个曼哈顿下城尖端直接折断，而且其厚度与高度更是曼哈顿现有摩天大楼的两倍半到三倍。叙述者百感交集地感叹道：“这是一件奇幻、奇迹般却又恐怖可怕的事情，我不知道是否有人真正看清了它的奇迹与恐怖之处。”更令人心惊的是冰川退缩速度的剧烈跃升。历史数据显示，从1900年到2000年整整一个世纪的时间里，该冰川总共退缩了8英里；然而从2000年到2010年，仅仅用了10年时间，冰川就向后退缩了9英里。叙述者特别强调了这一严酷现实：“因此在短短十年间，它的退缩幅度就已经超过了过去整整一百年的总和。” | 时间跨度 | 历经时长 | 冰川退缩距离 | 年均退缩速率 | |:--- |:--- |:--- |:--- | | **1900年 — 2000年** | 100年 | 8英里（约12.87公里） | 约0.08英里/年 | | **2000年 — 2010年** | 10年 | 9英里（约14.48公里） | 约0.90英里/年 | - 单次崩落体量在面积上相当于曼哈顿下城尖端整体剥离，其厚度相当于摩天大楼高度的2.5至3倍。 - 2000年至2010年的年均退缩速率是20世纪百年年均速率的11倍以上。 - 这场记录不仅创下了地表观测史上的崩塌规模纪录，更成为全球气候变暖导致两极冰盖加速消融的鲜活见证。 ## Notable quotes > [03:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU&t=198s) 我们只是观察者，只是伫立在山腰上的两个微小黑点；但我们目睹并记录下了有史以来被摄像机捕捉到的最大规模冰川崩塌事件。 — 叙述者 ## Mentioned James Balog, Extreme Ice Survey, Ilulissat Glacier, Adam LeWinter, Jeff Orlowski-Yang, Chasing Ice, Exposure Labs, Guinness Book of World Records, Sundance Film Festival, Emmy Award, Academy Award, J. Ralph, Scarlett Johansson, Joshua Bell, 曼哈顿 ## Video description This rare footage has gone on record as the longest-lasting and largest glacier calving event ever captured on film by ground-based observers by the 2016 Guinness Book of World Records. In May 2008, the Extreme Ice Survey, led by James Balog, maintained a 24/7 cinematic vigil at the Ilulissat Glacier on Greenland’s west coast, hoping to document a major calving event. On May 28, 2008, Adam LeWinter and Jeff Orlowski-Yang recorded a 75-minute calving moment—the largest glacier calving event ever captured on film by ground-based observers. The glacier retreated about a mile across a calving face three miles wide, with ice heights approaching 3,000 feet, roughly 300–400 feet above water and the remainder below the surface. In less than an hour and a half, the glacier lost a piece of ice equivalent in size to 3,000 U.S. Capitol Buildings. Footage produced by James Balog (http://jamesbalog.com) and the Extreme Ice Survey (http://extremeicesurvey.org) Chasing Ice won the award for Excellence in Cinematography at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and a 2013 Emmy Award for Outstanding Nature Programming. It has won over 40 awards at festivals worldwide, and was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, "Before My Time" by J. Ralph featuring Scarlett Johansson and Joshua Bell. Listen to the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB4UEQzUmWc And watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIZTMVNBjc4 [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU)

Source quotes

[3:18] 叙述者: 我们只是观察者，只是伫立在山腰上的两个微小黑点；但我们目睹并记录下了有史以来被摄像机捕捉到的最大规模冰川崩塌事件。

Original transcript

[0:02] I'm on the phone with Jim on one of our [0:05] regular check-ins Jim just nothing's [0:09] happening it's going well we had some [0:13] serious bouts of wind but other than [0:16] that things are fairly well set up it's [0:21] starting at him I think hon it's [0:23] starting [0:28] let me call you back okay bye yeah for [0:36] that fee section right there holy [ __ ] [0:41] look at that [0:41] big bird rolling all four right right [0:46] look at that [0:50] you see how look at the whole thing [2:29] the calving phases 300 sometimes 400 [2:32] feet tall pieces of ice we're shooting [2:35] up out of the ocean 600 feet and then [2:37] falling [2:46] the only way that you can really try to [2:48] put it into scale with human references [2:50] is if you imagine Manhattan and all of a [2:53] sudden all of those buildings just start [2:55] to rumble [2:56] and quake and peel off and just fall [2:59] over and fall over and roll around this [3:03] whole massive city just breaking apart [3:06] in front of your honest [3:18] we're just observers these two little [3:20] dots on the side of the mouth we watched [3:23] and recorded the largest witness kabuna [3:27] venom ever caught on tape so how big was [3:34] this calving event that we just looked [3:36] at will resort to some illustrations [3:37] again to give you a sense of scale it's [3:43] as if the entire lower tip of Manhattan [3:46] broke off except that the thickness the [3:50] height of it is equivalent to buildings [3:52] that are two-and-a-half or three times [3:54] higher than they are [3:55] [Music] [4:00] you [4:10] that's a magical miraculous horrible [4:13] scary thing I don't know that anybody's [4:17] really seeing the miracle and horror of [4:19] that [4:22] it took a hundred years for it to [4:25] retreat eight miles from 1900 to 2000 [4:28] from 2000 to 2010 it retreated nine [4:32] miles so in ten years [4:33] it retreated more than it had in the [4:36] previous 100 [4:37] [Music] [4:38] you [4:39] [Music]