Glacier melt crisis threatens global freshwater supply
Recent research has revealed a concerning increase in the rate of glacier melting on Earth, which has profound implications, particularly for the loss of freshwater resources.
An international group of scientists has published findings indicating that glacier melting has significantly accelerated over the last decade. This process leads to rising sea levels and results in a loss of freshwater resources. The research, which involved 35 teams of scientists, was published in the journal "Nature."
Since 2000, glaciers have been losing an average of 300 billion tons of ice annually, contributing to a sea level rise of approximately 1 inch. Over the past two decades, glaciers have lost about 5% of their volume. A particularly significant loss was observed in Central Europe, where as much as 39% has melted. This research was part of the Glacier Mass Balance Intercomparison Exercise (Glambie) project, coordinated by the World Glacier Monitoring Service.
Michael Zemp, one of the study's leaders, emphasized, "We collected 233 estimates of glacier mass changes from different regions, provided by about 450 experts from 35 research teams." The Glambie project offers new insights into regional trends and annual variations.
Less freshwater
Glaciers are a crucial source of fresh water, especially for communities in Central Asia and the central Andes. However, as researcher Inés Dussaillant has highlighted, glacier melting significantly reduces freshwater resources.
"Glaciers are vital freshwater resources, especially for local communities in Central Asia and the Central Andes, where glaciers dominate runoff during warm and dry seasons," she added.
The role of space agencies
Collaboration with space agencies and satellite missions made the research findings possible. Noel Gourmelen, a co-author of the study, noted that satellite missions facilitate glacier observation—programs like the European Copernicus CRISTAL benefit from the results of ESA's CryoSat missions.
This research was funded by the Science for Society program under the European Space Agency's FutureEO initiative, with involvement from the International Association for Cryospheric Sciences and other institutional partners.
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