Summer heatwave causes multiple glaciers to collapse
The 2022 summer heatwave shattered temperature records for the entire Northern Hemisphere. In Europe, temperatures soared in Spain, Portugal, France and elsewhere.UK experiences its hottest day on record (104°F/40°C) in its history. Rising temperatures have increased the number of landslides in Europe.Heat waves also affected East Asia, especially China and South Koreaand South Asia, especially India and Pakistan. Mortality rates have increased in these countries and crop yields have fallen sharply.
The heatwave also caused the collapse of several glaciers around the world, which were already affected by rising global temperatures. Glacier collapse is characterized by large chunks of ice suddenly breaking away from the glacier, leading to avalanches or landslides in the case of alpine glaciers. These ice blocks are large enough that they disrupt the structure of the glacier, causing it to continue to break up until the least amount of ice remains.
Heatwaves and fires scorched Europe, Africa and Asia, breaking temperature records. (NASA image from the day of July 15, 2022).
inside Italian DolomitesThis heat wave The glacier collapsed completely on July 3 after temperatures climbed to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.This summer’s heatwave is not the start of the disappearance of the Dolomite glaciers; instead, the glaciers in the Dolomites have shrunk 30% of the volume From 2004 to 2015.In addition, glaciers that begin to show warning signs of possible collapse often remain higher sensitivity Temperatures increase during the summer months.Italy lost 25% Its glacial meltwater has declined over the past 20 years, and this trend is likely to continue after the recent collapse.
In Asia, heatwaves cause July 8 Glacier collapse in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. The event triggered an avalanche that failed to kill a group of hikers within minutes.Central Asia experienced a Last summer’s intense heat wave, Causes most glaciers to melt and become unstable.
The third glacier – the St. Anaphras glacier in central Switzerland – isn’t long for the world due to the summer heatwave. St. Anafil is classified as a small glacier: Small glaciers make up 80% of all glaciers in Switzerland, but they are poorly studied compared to the data collected for large glaciers.Since 1850, St. Anaphnia has lost more than 80% part of its total surface area, and a large part of the loss has occurred over the past 40 years. The glaciers are disappearing faster than expected due to the unusually high temperature this summer.
Glaciers are an important part of the hydrological cycle and habitats of various living things; however, they also inspire something deep within the human psyche, allowing them to connect with nature in a unique way. Glaciers have long been a key feature of Aboriginal cultures, especially in oral traditions and rituals. Tourism is another source of human-glacier interaction, but the increased frequency of landslides and glacier collapses threatens visitors to the glacier. Ice Stabilized Mountain Materials, and increased melting due to warmer atmospheric temperatures, making glacier tours increasingly dangerous. The pattern of glaciers disappearing is not unique to Switzerland, Italy or Kyrgyzstan, but occurs globally.
Mylène Jacquemart is a geologist at the Center for Earth and Science Observations at the University of Colorado Boulder, specializing in remote sensing techniques that help us understand the impacts of climate change. Jacquemart spoke to GlacierHub about the importance of reducing emissions. “Rapid climate action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions is the only way to protect glaciers,” she said. Rapid climate action includes everything from legislative regulation of carbon emissions to support for carbon sequestration initiatives. Complete collapse of the Dolomites is rare, she added, but “there’s always some residual risk when we venture out in the mountains.”
High carbon emissions in 2021 36.3 100 million tons, a record high. By 2022, carbon emissions are still increasing, and melting glaciers will only get worse. This summer’s heatwave was a dramatic lesson, triggering multiple unexpected changes at once. Given the multiple glacial melt events that have occurred this summer, we must prioritize minimizing carbon emissions to protect and maintain global glaciers.
