Published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, the findings are based on the most comprehensive and accurate data to date, say the researchers. This was the first study to include every glacier in the world – around 220,000 in total. Numerous universities and institutes contributed to the study, including Swiss ones.
Between 2000 and 2019, the world’s glaciers lost a total of 267 gigatonnes of ice per year on average – enough to put Switzerland under six metres of water. The melt rate increased considerably over the years: From 2000-2004 it was 227 gigatonnes, but from 2015-2019 it was 298. Over the course of 15 years, the glaciers lost 31% more snow and ice per year.
For their calculations, the researchers used photos captured via a multispectral imager on NASA’s Terra satellite. The ASTER imager has two cameras that provide high-resolution elevation models. Using these as well as a supercomputer, the team was able to measure changes in the thickness and mass of the ice. The study did not include the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica.
The research will be included in the next assessment report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
“Our findings are important on a political level. The world really needs to act now to prevent the worst-case climate change scenario,” says co-author Daniel Farinotti, head of the glaciology group at ETH Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL.
Some of the fastest melting glaciers are in Alaska, Iceland and the Alps. The study authors cite a shortage of meltwater in the Himalayas as a worry in terms of water and food security in India and Bangladesh in the next few decades.
More
Why melting glaciers affect us all
Alpine glaciers could disappear by the end of the century. The consequences will be felt not only in the Swiss Alps but all over the planet.
Has your continent reached its peak or is there still potential for economic growth?
Some regions of the world are on an upward trajectory with the promise of a steadily improving future. Where do you live? And in which direction is your region or continent developing?
This content was published on
Flight safety is reduced by the clogging of airspace, says Thomas Steffen, a pilot for Swiss and head of safety at Aeropers, the industry association.
Malaysian artist Yee I-Lann holds first major European exhibition in Thun
This content was published on
Das Kunstmuseum Thun richtet im August die erste grössere Europaausstellung der malaysischen Künstlerin Yee I-Lann aus. Darin werden Einflüsse des Kolonialismus aber auch das Fortbestehen des indigenen Erbes thematisiert.
Data from Swiss health foundation Radix leaked on the dark web
This content was published on
After the cyber attack suffered by the Radix foundation at the end of last month, sensitive personal data such as names and debts of people banned from casinos were published on the Darknet.
This content was published on
Companies with an externally validated net-zero target emit less CO2 than those without a climate target. This is the conclusion of a new analysis by the US financial services provider MSCI.
This content was published on
Swiss companies are increasingly being targeted by cyber criminals. In the past quarter, every single company in this country was the target of a cyber attack an average of 1097 times a week.
Swiss households faced 21 minutes of power outages in 2024
This content was published on
End customers experienced an average of 21 minutes of electricity interruption in 2024. This resulted in 0.34 power outages per capita. The duration of electricity interruptions increased by three minutes compared to the previous year.
Swiss citizens will be voting on restricting wind farm expansion
This content was published on
On Friday, the Association for the Protection of Nature and Democracy submitted two initiatives aimed at curbing the expansion of wind farms. More than 110,000 signatures have been collected.
E-bike riders regularly break speed limit in residential areas
This content was published on
Fast e-bikes regularly exceed the speed limit in residential areas. According to a new study with data on cyclists in Zurich, they regularly reach speeds of over 30 km/h.
This content was published on
Swiss small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are struggling to find staff, a problem made more acute by the increased bargaining power of employees and increased absenteeism.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Glacier tarpaulins an effective but expensive shield against heat
This content was published on
Protecting Swiss glaciers with white tarpaulins reduces ice and snow melt by around 60%, but cannot be applied on a large scale for reasons of cost.
Young Swiss artist captures fading glaciers using old techniques
This content was published on
Swiss artist Douglas Mandry has managed to record the process of their disappearance by experimenting with old photography methods.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.