Snow is melting at a record speed

The Clinclini Glacier is the largest glacier in Western Canada. But it continues to shrink – like so many others. In the last two decades, glaciers around the world have caused mass loss at an ever-increasing rate. How uncertain. An existing census now states that glaciers decreased by an average of 267 gigatons per year, like a team Reported in “Nature”.

One result: water resources in areas have changed. Another: sea level has risen. According to the study, global melt contributed to a 21 percent increase.

Satellite and aerial imagery of over 200,000 glaciers provide the basis for current estimates. Thanks to high-resolution mapping, the calculation is more accurate than the group published in previous IPCC reports and in recent global studies.

200 million people can no longer be dry in future

According to the authors, just seven regions are responsible for more than 80 percent of global mass loss. Alaska (25 percent); Greenland Perimeter (13 percent); Arctic Canada North and South (10 percent each); Antarctica and sub-Antarctic, high mountain Asia and the southern Andes (8 percent each).

To know how big each loss is. Because the more accurate the data, the better the models that predict future changes. And more expedient strategies to take protective measures on site and thus limit serious consequences for people and nature.