Exxon Valdez falloutThat such a catastrophe might happen was not news to the company. For the two decades following the Exxon Valdez disaster, the company worked quietly to safeguard its operations and infrastructure against steadily rising sea levels and thawing permafrost. Known as tidewater glaciers, Columbia and its brethren exist in rocky valleys and stretch all the way down to the ocean. The Columbia Glacier, shown here in 2006, has lost about half of its thickness since the accident, according to NASA. Joseph Hazelwood left his third mate in charge and retired to his quarters before the Exxon Valdez crashed in 1989.

Source: Los Angeles Times April 06, 2017 10:05 UTC