Many of the world’s glaciers were formed during the Last Glacial Maximum. These glaciers, remnants of the Ice Age, have persisted for thousands of years in high altitude or polar regions.

However, big changes await us. A recent study reveals that more than half of the planet’s glaciers could disappear by the end of this century.

The research, carried out by scientists from ETH Zurich in Switzerland and Vrije University of Brussels in Belgium, portends frightening predictions for our planet’s glaciers.

Scientists have estimated the potential loss of glaciers under various carbon emissions scenarios. They took into account all the glaciers on our planet, a total of 200,000.

Glaciers seriously threatened

The study’s numbers are intimidating. In a high emissions scenario, up to 54 percent of all glaciers could disappear. In the Alps, this figure reaches an alarming 75 percent.

“Glaciers are crucial in many parts of the world and, as such, their changes have a direct impact on our society and the natural environment,” said study lead author and glaciologist Professor Harry Zekollari.

“Locally, glaciers can cause natural hazards, they have significant tourism value and they determine the local water supply. »

From melting glaciers to rising sea levels

The melting of glaciers does not stop at the loss of an icy spectacle; the repercussions are considerable. One of the biggest concerns is the contribution of melting glaciers to sea ​​level risewhich increase the risk of flooding in coastal cities.

Additionally, glacier loss is decreasing fresh water resources on which millions of people depend for drinking water.

“The water supply from glaciers (and how this supply changes) will impact biodiversity and water availability for industry, agriculture and households,” Professor Zekollari said.

The greenhouse effect is only making the crisis worse. Like that of the Earth albedo – the ability to reflect sunlight – decreases, more of the sun’s energy is absorbed rather than reflected. This increases the risk of global warming, further worsening climate change.

Predicting glacier mass loss

To estimate future glacier loss, the research team studied historical glacier masses, carbon emissions and temperature data.

Armed with this information and the help of computer modeling, the experts were able to make predictions about future mass loss from glaciers.

“By modeling the evolution of glaciers throughout the 21st century under various climate scenarios, we found strong differences in results depending on future emission levels,” noted Professor Zekollari.

In a low-carbon scenario, glaciers could lose 25 to 29 percent of their mass by 2100. In a high-emissions scenario, this figure could rise to between 46 and 54 percent.

The glaciers of the European Alps are among the most vulnerable. These glaciers are expected to lose more than 75 percent of their volume under high emissions scenarios.

However, polar regions Like the Canadian Arctic, Iceland and Svalbard could retain more of their glacial mass by the end of the century, although they would still face a significant loss.

Uncertainties about the evolution of glaciers

Despite these painful revelations, the team acknowledges uncertainties about the projected evolution of glaciers, while emphasizing that the research has focused specifically on glaciers and not ice sheets.

Ice sheets, the gargantuan masses of glacial ice found in Greenland and Antarctica, carry about 99 percent of Earth’s fresh water.

Even though these ice sheets have greater mass and react on longer time scales, their contribution to sea level rise is about the same (or even slightly lower) than that of the 200,000 glaciers studied.

“For us it is indeed crucial that all the figures we have and those of other researchers are combined to get a complete picture of sea level rise,” Professor Zekollari concluded.

The fragility of our planet’s glaciers highlights the urgent need for proactive climate action.

Preserving glaciers: a collective responsibility

The fate of the world’s glaciers is not set in stone. By reducing carbon emissions and implementing sustainable environmental policies, it is possible to slow their decline.

Efforts such as transitioning to renewable energy, protecting vulnerable ecosystems, and raising global awareness of the importance of glaciers can help mitigate their loss.

Every action we take today helps protect glaciers for future generations, ensuring freshwater resources, biodiversity and the delicate balance of our climate are preserved.

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