News

Climate change is shrinking glaciers faster than ever, with 7 trillion tons lost since 2000

Niagara Gazette · last updated

Climate change is accelerating the melting of the world’s mountain glaciers, according to a massive new study that found them shrinking more than twice as fast as in the early 2000s.

The world’s glaciers lost ice at the rate of about 255 billion tons (231 billion metric tons) annual from 2000 to 2011, but that quickened to about 346 billion tons (314 billion metric tons) annually over about the next decade, according to the study in this week’s journal Nature.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAmp?5 E96 =2DE 76H J62CD[ E96 >6=E 92D 2446=6C2E65 6G6? >@C6[ 9:EE:?8 2 C64@C5 e_c 3:==:@? E@?D Wdcg 3:==:@? >6EC:4 E@?DX =@DE :? a_ab[ E96 =2DE J62C 2?2=JK65]k^Am

kAm%96 DEF5J 5C6H @? 2? :?E6C?2E:@?2= 677@CE E92E :?4=F565 abb 6DE:>2E6D @7 492?86D :? 8=24:6C H6:89E] x? 2==[ E96 H@C=5VD 8=24:6CD 92G6 =@DE >@C6 E92? f EC:==:@? E@?D @7 :46 We]d EC:==:@? >6EC:4 E@?DX D:?46 a___[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 DEF5J]k^Am

kAm“%96 E9:?8 E92E A6@A=6 D9@F=5 36 2H2C6 @7 2?5 A6C92AD H@CC:65 23@FE :D E92E J6D[ E96 8=24:6CD 2C6 :?5665 C6EC62E:?8 2?5 5:D2AA62C:?8 2D H6 D2:5 E96J H@F=5] %96 C2E6 @7 E92E =@DD D66>D E@ 36 2446=6C2E:?8[” D2:5 (:==:2> r@=82?[ 2 8=24:@=@8:DE 7@C E96 v6@=@8:42= $FCG6J @7 s6?>2C< 2?5 vC66?=2?5 2?5 @?6 @7 23@FE e_ 2FE9@CD @7 E96 DEF5J]k^Am

kAmv=24:6CD :? p=2D<2 2C6 >6=E:?8 2E E96 72DE6DE C2E6 @7 2?J @7 E96 `h C68:@?D DEF5:65[ =@D:?8 23@FE ef 3:==:@? E@?D We` 3:==:@? >6EC:4 E@?DX @7 :46 2 J62C[ AC@5F4:?8 E96 3:886DE ?6E :46 =@DD[ E96 DEF5J 7@F?5]k^Am

kAmx? E96 A2DE ac J62CD[ r6?EC2= tFC@A6’D 8=24:6CD 92G6 =@DE E96 9:896DE A6C46?E286 @7 :46 @7 2?J C68:@?[ ?@H bhT D>2==6C E92? E96J H6C6 :? a___[ E96 A2A6C D2:5] r@=82? D2:5 96 H@CC:6D >@DE 23@FE E96 p=AD 3642FD6 “6=6G2E65 DF>>6C E6>A6C2EFC6D 92G6 366? 92>>6C:?8 E96 p=AD] ”k^Am

kAmu:7E66? J62CD 28@[ D4:6?E:DED H6C6 H@CC:65 >@DE 23@FE E96 p?56D 2?5 E96 !2E28@?:2 8=24:6CD[ 3FE E96 p=AD 92G6 D9CF?< D@ 72DE E96J 4@F=5 6G6?EF2==J 5:D2AA62C[ r@=82? D2:5]k^Am

kAm“v=24:6CD 2C6 2A@=:E:42= 2?5 F?3:2D65 D6?E:?6=D @7 4=:>2E6 492?86[ 2?5 E96:C 564=:?6 A2:?ED 2 4=62C A:4EFC6 @7 2446=6C2E65 H2C>:?8[” D2:5 vH6?? u=@H6CD[ 2 AC@76DD@C @7 t2CE9 $4:6?46D 2E $:>@? uC2D6C &?:G6CD:EJ :? r2?252[ H9@ H2D?VE A2CE @7 E96 DEF5J]k^Am

kAm&?:G6CD:EJ @7 r@=@C25@ :46 D4:6?E:DE %65 $42>3@D[ H9@ 2=D@ H2D?VE A2CE @7 E96 DEF5J[ D2:5 8=24:6CD D9C2?< 2?5 8C6H :? E96 A2DE 7@C =@42=[ H6==\F?56CDE@@5 C62D@?D E92E H6C6 ?@E 4=:>2E6 492?86] (92EVD 92AA6?:?8 ?@H :D 5:776C6?E 2?5 4=62C[ 96 D2:5i “xE’D 5F6 E@ 8C66?9@FD6 82D :?4C62D6D 42FD65 5:C64E=J 3J 4@2=[ @:=[ 2?5 ?2EFC2= 82D 3FC?:?8] ]]] }@ 2>@F?E @7 C96E@C:4[ EH66E:?8[ @C AC@4=2>2E:@? H:== 492?86 E92E]”k^Am

kAm$42>3@D[ u=@H6CD 2?5 @E96C @FED:56 D4:6?E:DED 42==65 E96 2DD6DD>6?E D@36C:?8 2?5 244FC2E6 3FE ?@E DFCAC:D:?8]k^Am

kAmr@=82? D2:5 E92E >2?J A=246D — DF49 2D E9@D6 :? E96 &]$] (6DE — 2C6 D66:?8 6IEC2 H2E6C ?@H 7C@> 72DE\>6=E:?8 8=24:6CD 2?5 36?67:E:?8 7C@> E92E 3@@DE[ 3FE E92E H:== D@@? 5:D2AA62C 2D E96 8=24:6CD >6=E 36J@?5 2 A@:?E @7 ?@ C6EFC?]k^Am

kAm|6=E:?8 8=24:6CD 4@?EC:3FE6 >@C6 E@ D62 =6G6= C:D6 E92? :46 =@DD :? 6:E96C vC66?=2?5 @C p?E2C4E:42] ~?=J E96 6IA2?D:@? @7 H2E6C 2D :E H2C>D A=2JD 2 3:886C C@=6 :? D62 =6G6= C:D6[ E96 A2A6C D2:5]k^Am

kAm%96 @G6C2== 8=24:6C =@DD C2E6 :D D:>:=2C[ :7 >2J36 D=:89E=J =6DD[ E92? E92E 7@F?5 3J 62C=:6C 2?5 =6DD 4@>AC696?D:G6 DEF5:6D] qFE E9:D ?6H H@C< H:== AC@323=J EC:886C ?6H AC65:4E:@?D E92E H:== 36 6G6? 8=@@>:6C :? E96 7FEFC6 3642FD6 @7 36EE6C :?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 H@CD6?:?8 H2C>:?8[ r@=82? D2:5]k^Am

kAm“x7 J@F’C6 =@D:?8 d]dT @7 E96 8=@32= :46 G@=F>6 :? ;FDE @G6C a_ J62CD[ 4=62C=J E92E’D ?@E DFDE2:?23=6[” r@=82? D2:5] “%92EVD 8@:?8 E@ 42E49 FA H:E9 J@F]”k^Am

kAm%96 >@C6 E92? e__ 3:==:@? E@?D @7 8=24:6C =@DD :? a_ab “D@F?5D :?4C65:3=6 ?@H[ 3FE :E >:89E D@F?5 AC6EEJ ?@C>2= :? `_ J62CD 7C@> ?@H[” r@=82? D2:5] “|@F?E2:? 8=24:6CD 2D 2 H9@=6 42? 7=:A :?E@ 4@==64E:G6 :46 =@DD AC6EEJ 52C? BF:4<]”k^Am