Since registration began more than 100 years ago, the Hintereisferner in Tyrol’s Ötztal has never lost as much mass as it did this summer. According to the glaciologists, this development is outside the normal fluctuation ranges.
The hot summer made Glacier Loss Day, ie the day when a glacier only loses mass before the start of the colder season, earlier than ever before. This value was already reached in June. This also led to a record melt that cost the Hintereisferner five percent of its total volume.
To make the dimension clearer: that corresponds to almost 20 million cubic meters of water, about the same as the city of Innsbruck uses in 20 months of drinking water. This means that the previous negative record set in 2003 was already surpassed on August 25 of this year – exactly how much depends on how much ice will melt at the beginning of the next winter half year in the fall.
Glacier halved in a few years
While not every summer is as hot as this year, a trend is evident for glacier researchers. Climate change and, as a result, greenhouse gas emissions are hitting the glaciers hard. “Modelling glacier changes with short-term climate model data shows that annual volume losses of five percent are becoming more common. That means that in 10 to 20 years only half of the Hintereisferner will be left,” says glacier researcher Rainer Prinz.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
