The global retreat of glaciers has accelerated significantly

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Currently there are a total of 275,000 glaciers in the world which are a huge reservoir of fresh water. Since the turn of the millennium, glaciers have receded worldwide with the exception of Greenland and the Antarctic ice sheets. It melts approximately 273 billion tons of ice annually which corresponds to five times the volume of Lake Constance.

Cell's world glaciers have lost approximately five percent of their total volume since 2000. This conclusion was reached by an international research team and the entire study is published in the journal Nature. What is most striking is the fact that the loss of ice has accelerated significantly in recent years. In the second monitored period which covers the years 2012 to 2023, the decline was 36 percent higher than in the period 2000 to 2011.

The study relies on a whole range of data from glaciers from various sources, including field measurements directly on the glaciers. Gravimetric, radar and laser data from numerous satellite missions are also a big help. Due to the large amount of accurate data, this study is much more reliable than previous studies of global glacier change.

Loss of ice from glaciers since 2000 has led to an 18 millimeter rise in sea level. This makes melting glaciers the second most powerful driver of sea level rise after ocean warming. At the same time with the melting of the glaciers we are losing valuable supplies of fresh water.

Not all glacial regions are affected by ice loss to the same extent. Glaciers on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands lost only 1.5 percent of their mass while glaciers in the Alps and Pyrenees shrank by 39 percent. Higher temperatures due to the low altitude at which these glaciers are located contribute most to the faster melting. Another role here is played by the sheer size of the glaciers. Smaller glaciers have a smaller cooling effect on the microclimate of their surroundings.

Source:ScienceDaily