Endangered glaciers could vanish by 2100.

By the end of the century, the smaller glaciers on Earth will disappear, particularly as a result of climate change.

Glacier mass loss has an impact on all of these things: sea level rise, water availability, and natural hazards.

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A recent study indicates that the glaciers are melting more quickly than anticipated. If the current climate trends continue, it is predicted that by the end of this century, two-thirds of the glaciers currently on Earth will have vanished. Glaciers will be impacted by global temperature increases of 1.5 to 4 degrees Celsius, losing 25% to almost 50% of their mass by the year 2100, according to a study published on Thursday in the journal Science.

SYNOPSIS

Two-thirds of the glaciers currently found on Earth are predicted to disappear by the end of this century. Glaciers will be affected by global temperature increases of 1.5 to 4 degrees Celsius. By 2100, there may be a loss of two out of every three glaciers. Just under half of the planet's glaciers will vanish if global warming is kept to a few tenths of a degree. Global warming will have a disproportionately negative impact on smaller glacial regions like Central Europe, Western Canada, and the United States.

The glaciers in these regions will almost entirely vanish with a 3°C temperature increase. Even if global temperature rise is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, researchers estimate that 49% of the world's glaciers will disappear by 2100. The University of Arizona has proposed a plan to collect ice from below the glacier and spread it over the upper ice caps. Other suggestions include restoring existing forests and planting new ones to absorb excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. How can we stop glaciers from melting?

Introduction

Glaciers are in danger; by 2100, half of them may have disappeared. The most comprehensive study on glacier melting was released by scientists in the journal Science. why they maintain that reducing the temperature increase is still possible. The 200,000 glaciers in the world could shrink by between 29 and 59 percent if global warming is kept to the Paris Agreement goal of limiting temperature rises to 1 percent, according to the study, which was conducted by a group of more than 100 international scientists.

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Every third glacier could disappear by the year 2100.

According to a recent study that was published in the prestigious association journal Science of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, half of the Earth's glaciers, especially the smallest ones, are doomed to disappear by the end of the century due to climate change, but limiting global warming could save others.

The study's findings provide the most comprehensive picture yet of Earth's 215,000 glaciers in the future. Researchers warned that glaciers are losing mass and melting more quickly than previously thought.

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However, they stress that individuals can still take steps to stop the process. Just under half of the planet's glaciers will vanish if global warming is kept to a few tenths of a degree and international targets are met, according to the same study.

Research led by David Rounce from the Department of Environmental and Civil Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and the Institute for Geophysics at the University of Alaska Fairbanks emphasizes the significance of limiting greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible to prevent the effects of melting glaciers, such as rising sea levels and the depletion of water resources.

Photo by Dating Zhu on Unsplash

The 215,000 terrestrial glaciers on the planet were all examined by the researchers (excluding those in the polar regions). The study, published in Nature, reveals that if the planet warms by 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, an estimated 75 percent of glaciers will have disappeared by 2100. Even if global warming is kept to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, nearly half of the planet's glaciers—46 percent—are predicted to vanish by the end of the century.  

Compared to earlier studies, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets were examined more thoroughly. Their work is the first to combine data from remote sensing with mathematical modeling to create a comprehensive overview of the effects of global warming on glaciers worldwide. The researchers found that, even if global warming is limited to 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius by 2100, nearly 45 percent of the planet’s glaciers will disappear. To help mitigate the loss of glaciers, the researchers suggest focusing on reducing emissions as soon as possible.  

The study examined the effects of four scenarios in which the global mean temperature change is 1.5 degrees Celsius, 2.0 degrees Celsius, 3.0 degrees Celsius, and 4.0 degrees Celsius on glaciers to assist policymakers. In their study, the researchers used a combination of remote sensing data and mathematical modeling to gain insight into how global warming could affect glaciers worldwide. 

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The results of the study showed that if global warming was limited to 1.5 or 2.0 degrees Celsius, 45 percent of the world's glaciers would still be lost by 2100, but this loss could be drastically reduced if temperatures were kept within those limits. The study concluded that, if global warming could be kept below 1.5 or 2.0 degrees Celsius, it would greatly reduce the risk of losing nearly half of the world's glaciers by 2100.    

According to researchers, if fossil fuel investments continue, more than 40% of the glacial mass will have vanished within the next century. Smaller glacial regions like Central Europe, Western Canada, and the United States will be hit the hardest by global warming. Temperature increases of more than 2° C will have a disproportionately negative impact on smaller glacial regions, such as Central Europe, Western Canada, and the United States. With a 3°C temperature increase, the glaciers in these areas will almost completely disappear.

Photo by Hans Hamann on Unsplash

With today's emission reduction initiatives, it will only be possible to immediately reverse the inertia that greenhouse gases add to climate change. Previous studies by Rounce have shown that the distribution and thickness of the debris cover can either positively or negatively affect the rate of glacial melt over the entire region, depending on the thickness of the cover. Debris-covered glaciers are those that are buried beneath the sand, boulders, or other large rocks.

Researchers predict that 49% of the world's glaciers will vanish by 2100, even if global temperature rise is kept to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement. But according to Rounce's research, the glacial retreat can be slowed down and melting can be lessened with the right management of debris cover on the glacier surfaces.

That figure would be equivalent to about 26% of the total mass of glaciers on Earth. Therefore, smaller glaciers will experience the effects first. The average global temperature is thought to be rising by 2.7 degrees Celsius at the moment, which would result in the near-total disappearance of glaciers in New Zealand, western Canada, the continental United States, and central Europe.

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In the worst-case scenario, giant glaciers like those in Alaska would be particularly impacted by a rise in global temperature of 4.0 degrees Celsius, and 83% of them would vanish by the end of the century. Without even mentioning the effects such a sharp decline in freshwater resources would have on human civilization, this would have a devastating effect on regional ecosystems and the environment.

How can we stop glaciers from melting?

Making additional ice seemed like a straightforward answer from the University of Arizona. According to their plan, wind-powered pumps would collect ice from below the glacier and spread it over the upper ice caps to help them solidify and become more consistent. 

Photo by Francis Bouffard on Unsplash

There are other options to think about, like lowering emissions that fuel global warming, a significant factor in glacier melting. Creating new forests and reforesting existing ones, which will absorb extra carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, are additional recommendations to stop glacier melting. These steps could help slow glacier melting and safeguard this valuable natural resource for future generations, along with the university's proposal to spread ice from below the glacier over the upper ice caps.

Conclusion

Since glaciers are important natural resources, we must take measures to prevent their melting. Restoring existing forests and planting new ones, in addition to the university's plan of collecting ice from below the glacier and spreading it over the upper ice caps, are two key steps that can be taken to reduce glacier melting and protect this natural resource for many years to come. 

Works Cited

Half Of Earth’s Glaciers Will Vanish By 2100: Study. (2023, January 7). NDTV.com. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.ndtv.com/feature/half-of-earths-glaciers-will-vanish-by-2100-study-3673008

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