A glaciologist tracks a glaciers retreat: it recedes 18 meters in the first year, and each subsequent year it retreats 120% of the previous years distance. How far does it retreat in year 4?

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:42:56 +0000

A glaciologist tracks a glacier’s retreat: it recedes 18 meters in the first year, and each year after, it retreats 120% of the previous year’s distance. This escalating pattern sparks growing attention across the U.S., as climate researchers and concerned citizens recognize the accelerating pace at which glaciers are vanishing—turning a complex environmental process into a tangible indicator of global climate change. Why is this pattern drawing interest now? Rising temperatures, vividly documented through satellite imagery and field research, have placed glaciers under intense scrutiny. Communities near retreating glaciers are observing firsthand how shrinking ice impacts water supplies, ecosystems, and local landscapes. With increasing media coverage spotlighting glacial changes, this precise mathematical progression—18 meters in year one, multiplying 120% annually—simply captures how rapidly environmental shifts unfold. It answers a fundamental question: how much does a glacier retreat when the retreat itself accelerates? To understand year 4’s retreat, think in percentages:
Year 1: 18 meters
Year 2: 120% × 18 = 21.6 meters
Year 3: 120% × 21.6 = 25.92 meters
Year 4: 120% × 25.92 = 31.104 meters So, a glaciologist tracks a glacier’s retreat: it recedes 18 meters in year one, and each year retreats 120% of the prior year’s distance—yielding approximately 31.1 meters in year four. This step-by-step escalation reveals not just numbers, but a clear, measurable trend in glacial loss accelerated by climate variability.