British startup Earthwave and a group of European scientists have used satellite data to map the melting glacier around the world – and the results are alarming.
The team discovered that the glaciers of the European Alps have shrunk the most – 39% in just over two decades compared to a global average of 5%.
Livia Jakob, co -founder of Earthwave, said the project was invaluable for our understanding of the ice loss of glaciers.
“We have developed an algorithm to combine all different data records for a joint estimate of the glacier mass balance and to give ourselves a new and improved picture of glacier behavior in the past two decades,” said Jakob TNW by e -mail.
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All over the world, glaciers have lost an average of 273 billion tons of ice cream per year since 2000. This corresponds to 30 years with the drinking water consumption of the entire world population.
And the situation is snowball. The rate of ice loss rose from 231 billion tons per year (2000–2011) to 314 billion tons per year (2012–2023) and shows no signs of slowing down.
The worst hit of the Alps
The temperatures in Europe's highest mountain range are rise twice as fast as a global average. Swiss glacier 6% of their total volume alone lost in 2022 after intensive summer heating schools.
Dust from the Sahara could also be responsible for the rapid decline of the Glacier Central Europe. Particles in the air come from the Sahara desert and sit on glacier surfaces and darken the ice. This means that you absorb more solar radiation and melt faster.
But ultimately the climate change induced by humans is the greatest culprit. If the greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, scientists predict The Alps could lose over 90% of their glacier mass up to 2100.
The glacier retreat conjures up trouble for millions that rely on glacier melt for drinking water, agriculture and hydropower – while the coastal communities are prepared for increasing tides. During the study period, glaciers contributed 18 mm to the global increase in sea level.
Research was carried out as part of the glacier mass balance or glambie for short. The project is an important research initiative coordinated by the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS), which is organized in cooperation with the University of Edinburgh and the Earthwave at the University of Zurich.
Jakob was co -founded in 2018. The startup uses the satellite remote exploration to monitor the effects of climate change or to help other scientists to enable valuable knowledge from satellite data.
Eyes over glacier
While many have experience The first -hand glacier decline, it is a little more difficult to pursue it on planet widths. Satellites can help there.
Numerous satellites monitor the earth's ice thickness from the orbit. You use optical, radar, laser and gravimetry instruments to provide data on glacier loss, change of sea ice and rising sea levels.
The Glambie study used this information to create one of the most comprehensive overviews of Glacier Retreat that has ever been carried out.
The study included data from satellites, including the Terra/Aster and Icesat-2 of the USA, the US Grace, the German Tandem-X and the cryosate of the European Space Agency.
If the global temperatures continue to increase, such studies deepen our understanding of how the glacier melt on fresh water supply, ecosystems and increase in sea levels must be worked out and what has to be done to alleviate the worst effects of climate change.
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