A new study has revealed the alarming extent glaciers have shrunk over the past 40 years in a global warming hotspot for the first time – and the biggest retreat has occurred in recent years.
A new study has revealed the alarming extent glaciers have shrunk over the past 40 years in a global warming hotspot for the first time – and the biggest retreat has occurred in recent years.
The research, led by the University of Bristol and published in Nature Communications, shows the vast majority (91%) of glaciers across Svalbard in the Arctic have been significantly shrinking. Findings revealed an area loss of more than 800 km2 at the glacier margins in this Norwegian group of islands since 1985.
The study also found that more than half of the glaciers (62%) undergo seasonal cycles in glacier calving – when large chunks of ice break away due to higher ocean and air temperatures.
Lead author Dr Tian Li, Senior Research Associate at the University’s Glaciology Centre, said: “The scale of glacier retreats over the past few decades is astonishing, almost covering the entire Svalbard. This highlights the vulnerability of glaciers to climate change, especially in Svalbard, a region experiencing rapid warming up to seven times faster than the global average.”
Read more at University of Bristol
Photo Credit: JayMantri via Pixabay
