Epic Glacier Collapse Occurs in Argentina's Patagonia Region (Video)

When amateur photographer Christian Grosso visited a glacier in Argentina's Patagonia region, he had no idea that he was about to witness a massive ice bridge rupturing and falling into a lake below, causing a huge wave. Fortunately, he captured the whole thing on camera--and another visitor caught a video of the event.

The glacier itself is known as Perito Moreno and is one of the largest in Patagonia, which is located at the southern tip of South America. Every so often, this glacier cuts off the major southern arm of Lake Argentino, known as Brazo Rico; it forms a natural dam and prevents water from transferring between the two bodies.

The collapse itself took place on Saturday, Jan. 19 at about 7:15 p.m. local time. Only about 20 other visitors were able to witness the event which sent thousands of tons of ice crashing into the water below, creating a massive wave. Fortunately, Grosso was far enough away that the water did not affect him.

This incident, though, isn't particularly unique. Other, much larger collapses have occurred before. Because of the natural ice dam that the glacier creates, meltwater can raise the water levels of Brazo Rico by as much as 98 feet above the level in Lago Argentino. This larger supply of water means that waves can reach epic proportions.

Every four or five years, the pressure created by these unequal water levels eventually causes the ice tongue between the two bodies to collapse, creating a display that is amazing to behold. The same phenomenon occurred in March of last year. This latest collapse, though, was the result of an ice bridge that was a leftover from March.

Want to see the collapse of the massive ice bridge? Check out the video below.