Global Glacier Loss Accelerates: Alps and Pyrenees Melting Fastest, New Study Reveals
A groundbreaking international study, with contributions from researchers at TU Graz, provides a comprehensive global assessment of ice loss since the start of the millennium. The findings are alarming: glaciers worldwide are shrinking at an accelerating rate, with the Alps and Pyrenees experiencing the most dramatic losses.
Alarming Rate of Ice Loss Worldwide
The world’s approximately 275,000 glaciers serve as crucial freshwater reservoirs. However, this vital resource is rapidly diminishing. Since 2000, glaciers globally (excluding the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets) have lost an average of 273 billion tonnes of ice per year – a volume equivalent to five and a half times that of Lake Constance. This represents a staggering five percent loss of their total volume over the past two decades.
The research team, including Tobias Bolch from the Institute of Geodesy at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), published their comprehensive study in the prestigious scientific journal *Nature*. A key finding is the significant acceleration of ice loss in recent years. Between 2012 and 2023, the rate of loss was 36% higher than in the period from 2000 to 2011.
Comprehensive Data Analysis from Multiple Sources
To achieve these findings, researchers meticulously collected, standardized, and evaluated glacier data from a variety of sources. This included direct field measurements on glaciers, as well as radar, laser, and gravimetric data obtained from numerous satellite missions. “We compiled 233 estimates of regional glacier mass changes from about 450 data contributors organised in 35 research teams,” explained study lead Michael Zemp.
Tobias Bolch added, “The data from ESA Earth observation satellites, as well as from other international space organisations, is particularly important for our research. By analysing this data — measurements of elevation changes are particularly valuable here — we were able to determine the condition of glaciers worldwide.” The result is a unique time series spanning from 2000 to 2023, detailing annual glacier mass changes across all global glacier regions. The sheer volume and precision of the data make this study significantly more reliable than previous assessments based on less complete information.
Sea Level Rise and Regional Impacts
The melting of glaciers since 2000 has contributed to an 18-millimeter rise in sea level. This makes glacial melt the second largest contributor to sea-level rise, surpassed only by ocean warming and exceeding the mass loss from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.
View Animation of Glacier Mass Changes (Animation by Planetary Visions, hosted on esa.int)
Uneven Impact: Alps and Pyrenees Hit Hardest
The impact of ice loss is not uniform across all glacier regions. While Antarctic and sub-Antarctic glaciers have lost approximately 1.5% of their mass, the glaciers in the Alps and Pyrenees have suffered a devastating 39% loss.
“Due to their low altitude, they are particularly affected by the higher temperatures,” explained Tobias Bolch. “Additionally, the Alpine and Pyrenean glaciers are comparatively small, which is also a disadvantage. Glaciers generally have a cooling effect on the microclimate of their surroundings. However, this effect is only weakl for small glaciers, which is another reason why the glaciers in the Alps and Pyrenees are shrinking the most.”
Dwindling Meltwater Supplies and Future Implications
The loss of glacial ice translates directly to a loss of valuable freshwater resources. While many glacier-fed rivers have initially seen increased water volumes due to melting, this trend is not sustainable. These outflows are projected to peak and then steadily decline.
“In the European Alps, we have already exceeded this peak discharge. Hence our glaciers will supply the rivers with less and less water,” said Tobias Bolch. “This is becoming a problem especially during longer dry periods. Glacier tributaries are then particularly important as continuous water suppliers. This stabilising effect is increasingly being lost.” This diminishing water supply poses significant challenges for agriculture, hydropower generation, and ecosystem health.
The research initiative
The study on the development of glaciers was carried out as part of the ESA-supported research initiative “Glacier Mass Balance Intercomparison Exercise (GlaMBIE).” GlaMBIE is coordinated by the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) hosted at the University of Zurich in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and the company Earthwave.
A Bleak Outlook
This comprehensive study paints a stark picture of accelerating global glacier loss. The findings underscore the urgent need for climate action to mitigate further warming and its devastating consequences on these crucial freshwater resources and the communities and ecosystems that depend on them. The disproportionate impact on the Alps and Pyrenees serves as a clear warning of the vulnerability of lower-altitude and smaller glacier systems.
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