US EditionThe Alps Set to Lose a Record Number of Glaciers in the Next Decade, Study Warns
Under a +1.5°C rise, annual glacier loss in the Alps could double to 2,000 by 2041, with only 12% of glaciers surviving by 2100, researchers warn.
- New research warns the Alps will lose a record number of glaciers over the next decade, an international team led by researchers at ETH Zurich found.
- By counting disappearing glaciers rather than area loss, the ETH Zurich research team coined `Peak Glacier Extinction` to mark maximum annual loss, highlighting vulnerability in Alpine low-elevation glaciers and the Andes.
- The study found global glacier survivor counts fall from around 100,000 at +1.5°C to about 18,000 at +4.0°C, with annual peak losses potentially rising from 2,000 to 4,000 per year.
- Study authors warn the loss threatens valley tourism and local livelihoods, with visible signs like a large ice cave in Morteratsch Glacier, Switzerland, showing accelerating disintegration.
- Long-Term projections show dramatic reductions in regional glacier numbers; by 2100, under a +4.0°C scenario the Alps could be reduced to just 20 glaciers, while under about +2.7°C, Central Europe might retain roughly 110 glaciers.
23 Articles
23 Articles
ABC FOX Montana
Record number of glaciers will disappear from Alps soon
Depending on how sharply the planet warms, the period may mark a time when more glaciers vanish than ever before.
In the Alps, the Rate of Glacier Loss Will Peak in Eight Years: More than 100 Will Disappear Forever
Glaciers in the Alps will reach their fastest rate of melting in the next eight years, with more than 100 of them disappearing by 2033. This is one of the most obvious manifestations of the climate crisis caused by anthropogenic global warming.
Time is running out: over the next 10 to 20 years, half of all Alpine glaciers could be completely depleted, because the number of glaciers disappearing annually will reach their peak between 2033 and 2041, as researchers have determined. In the middle of the century, 4,000 glaciers could also be lost annually in the world. If the current climate trend continues, only 110 glaciers in the Alps would be left at the end of this century – from today…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
