Glacier ice loss worldwide has surged by 36% over the past decade, scientists revealed Wednesday, warning that melting is accelerating faster than previously predicted and will drive rising sea levels. As critical climate regulators and freshwater sources for billions, glaciers are melting rapidly due to global warming.
An international study, the first of its kind, found that between 2012 and 2023, glaciers lost around 273 billion tonnes of ice annually—equivalent to the global population’s water consumption for 30 years. The research, published in Nature, highlights a five percent volume loss since 2000, with regional differences ranging from a two-percent loss in Antarctica to a staggering 40% in the European Alps.
Michael Zemp, a University of Zurich professor and co-author of the study, described the findings as “shocking” yet expected, given rising global temperatures due to greenhouse gas emissions. Smaller glaciers, he noted, are disappearing fastest, with many unlikely to survive this century. Coordinated by the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS), The University of Edinburgh, and Earthwave, the study integrates satellite and field measurements to establish a “reference estimate” for tracking ice loss.
The team’s observations suggest that glacier melt this century will outpace predictions from the latest UN IPCC climate assessments, meaning sea-level rise could exceed previous expectations. Since 2000, glacier melt has contributed nearly two centimeters to global sea levels, putting nearly four million coastal residents at higher risk of flooding.
Martin Siegert, a professor at the University of Exeter, called the findings concerning, noting that Antarctica and Greenland’s vast ice sheets are also losing mass six times faster than 30 years ago. While smaller glaciers remain the primary contributors to sea-level rise, larger ice sheets could trigger a shift from centimeter-scale to meter-scale increases.
For over a century, WGMS has tracked glacier changes, initially through field measurements and now with satellite technology such as radar, lasers, and gravitational assessments. In January, the UN emphasized that preserving glaciers is a critical “survival strategy” for the planet. Zemp underscored that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the only solution, stating, “Every tenth of a degree warming we avoid saves money, lives, and future challenges.”
Source: Swifteradio.com
