A recent study that analyzed glaciers identified concerning data about the melting. Since 2000, the sea level increased by 1.8 cm, and the glaciers are the second largest contributor to this.
In this sense, these ice reserves are disappearing more rapidly than any other space on the planet.
Melting alert: what does this study say about glaciers
Over the last 25 years, glaciers lost 18% more ice than the Greenland ice sheet and more than double the amount lost in Antarctica.
Scientists warn that this process could accelerate even further due to global warming. This is demonstrated by the study led by the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS).
The research combined 233 estimates of changes in glacier mass through satellite observations from the European Space Agency and field measurements by specialized scientists.
Glacier melting is concerning.
According to the report, in 2010, glaciers covered an area of 705,221 square kilometers and contained 121,728 million tons of ice. However, by 2023, they had released a total of 6542 tons of ice into the ocean.
With an annual average of 237,000 million tons of melted ice, they contributed to a sea level rise of 0.75 mm each year.
Thus, glacier melting surpasses even the impact of ice loss in Greenland and Antarctica, being only exceeded by ocean warming.
“Mass loss will continue”
“Our recent observations and modeling studies indicate that glacier mass loss will continue and possibly accelerate until the end of this century,” said Dr. Samuel Nussbaumer, glaciologist at the University of Zurich and project director of the study.
Researchers point out that sea level rise is not the only problem caused by glacier melting.
In this regard, Inés Dussaillant, glaciologist at the University of Zurich, emphasized: “Glaciers are vital freshwater resources, especially for local communities in Central Asia and the Central Andes, where glaciers dominate runoff during the warm and dry seasons.”
Glaciers’ situation.
Another point to highlight is that, since 2000, glaciers in the Southern Andes lost 12.8% of their mass, while those in the “High Asian Mountain” regions lost 8.8% of their mass.
The Glacier Cemetery in Iceland
Last year, to raise awareness about this issue, Iceland inaugurated nothing less than a glacier cemetery.
It turns out that 15 glaciers became extinct in the Nordic country alone. And according to scientific estimates, half of those existing today on the planet will disappear by 2100 if emissions are not mitigated.
Among those listed as “missing” are the Pizol glacier in Switzerland (2019), the Sarenne glacier in France (2023), the Anderson glacier in United States (2015), and the Martial Sur glacier in Argentina (2018).
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