Study warns 40% of global glaciers doomed due to climate change
Study warns 40% of global glaciers doomed due to climate change
A new study published in Science finds that 39% of the world’s glaciers are already destined to melt due to fossil fuel-driven climate change, even if emissions stopped today. If global temperatures rise by 2.7°C — the current trajectory — 75% of glacier ice could be lost, contributing up to 23cm to sea level rise.
Researchers used eight glacier models to assess the fate of 200,000 glaciers outside Greenland and Antarctica. While glaciers in colder regions like the Hindu Kush are more resilient, others, such as those in Arctic Canada and the western U.S., face near-total loss.
Scientists stress that limiting global warming to 1.5°C could preserve nearly half of the remaining glacier ice and prevent widespread human and ecological consequences. The study emphasizes that every fraction of a degree matters, urging urgent climate action as the UN’s International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation convenes this week in Tajikistan.
