European glaciers to turn into ice patches in two decades due to climate change: Study

Europe’s southernmost glaciers will possible be lowered to ice patches within the subsequent 20 years resulting from local weather change, because the shrinking of ice mass on the Pyrenees mountain vary continues on the regular however speedy velocity seen a minimum of for the reason that Eighties, Spanish scientists say in a brand new examine.

The Pyrenees, marking the pure border between Spain and France, noticed three glaciers disappear or change into lowered to stagnant strips of ice since 2011. In 17 of the 2 dozen remaining ice sheets, there’s been a mean lack of 6.3 meters (20 ft) of ice thickness.

Their mass additionally shrank over one-fifth on common, or 23%, in almost one decade, in response to the examine printed final week within the peer-reviewed Geophysical Analysis Letters. Its findings have been introduced to the media on Friday.

The Spanish scientists blamed local weather change for the retreat, and particularly a 1.5-degree-Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) general temperature improve within the Pyrenean area for the reason that nineteenth century.

“What we’re seeing right here is an advance warning of what could occur in different mountains, like within the Alps,” stated Jesús Revuelto, one of many examine’s authors. “Their glaciers have rather more mass and entity, however we’re displaying them the way in which.”