Glaciers in the Alps are melting faster than ever

The year 2022 is exceptional. There are basically three reasons for the strong retreat of the glaciers this year, according to experts. One is the low snowfall in winter and spring. Another is sand from the Sahara Desert that blew all the way to Switzerland between March and May and deposited on ice and snow. The contaminated snow absorbed more solar energy and melted faster. Finally, the exceptional summer heatwave resulted in record temperatures even at high altitudes. Annual ice loss around 2% of a glacier’s overall volume was called extreme  by glaciologists but this year Switzerland’s glaciers have lost an average of 6.2% of their ice.  Thanks in part to work by the charitable organization Alpine Glacier Project we can observe the effect of our warming climate through chemically monitoring changes in meltwater, topographically surveying the landscape and by taking photos from the same position over the years. Over the project’s five decades, Gorner Glacier and Findel Glacier have retreated 1,385m and 1,655m respectively. And if nothing is done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, all glaciers in Switzerland and Europe risk melting almost completely by the end of the century, researchers warn.

I believe people should be more aware of what is causing global warming. Human activities are at the root of melting glaciers. Also sea level rise is perhaps the most serious effect where coastal cities face increasing storm tides and are constantly inundated.

https://theconversation.com/glaciers-in-the-alps-are-melting-faster-than-ever-and-2022-was-their-worst-summer-yet-189197