A global study found glacier ice loss increased by 36% from 2012 to 2023 compared to the previous decade. Each year, glaciers shed 273 billion tonnes of ice—equivalent to 30 years of global water consumption.
Led by researchers from the University of Zurich and published in Nature, the study shows glaciers have lost 5% of their total volume since 2000. The European Alps are the hardest hit, losing up to 40% of their ice, while Antarctica has seen a 2% decline.
FASTER MELTING, BIGGER THREATS
Michael Zemp, director of the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS), called the findings alarming but not unexpected. Smaller glaciers are vanishing at an accelerated pace, and many may not last through this century.
Scientists predict glacier melt will surpass projections by the UN’s IPCC climate panel. This could drive sea levels higher than previously estimated by 2100, endangering millions in coastal areas.
GLACIERS’ ROLE IN RISING SEAS
Glaciers are the second-largest factor in sea-level rise after ocean thermal expansion. Since 2000, glacier melt has added nearly two centimeters to sea levels. This change exposes four million more coastal residents to flooding risks.
HIGH-TECH GLACIER MONITORING
The WGMS has tracked glacier changes for over a century. Early studies relied on field data from around 500 glaciers, but modern satellite technology now monitors 275,000 glaciers globally. Researchers use cameras, radar, and lasers to measure ice loss and project future changes.
In January, the UN declared glacier preservation a crucial survival strategy. Zemp stressed that cutting greenhouse gas emissions is the only way to slow glacier loss and its catastrophic effects.
“Every fraction of a degree in warming we prevent saves lives, resources, and entire ecosystems,” he emphasized.
