A recent study using data from the European Space Agency’s CryoSat satellite reveals that global glaciers have shrunk by 2%, losing approximately 2720 Gigatonnes of ice between 2010 and 2020. This significant loss, primarily driven by rising air temperatures (accounting for 89% of the reduction), poses serious threats to freshwater supplies and contributes more to sea-level rise than the polar ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica. Despite their critical role in providing freshwater and supporting hydropower industries, measuring glacier mass loss has been difficult due to their complex terrains.
The breakthrough came from employing a novel “swath processing” technique that enhances the measurement of glacier ice volume changes. Researchers emphasized the importance of accurately tracking these changes to grasp the implications of climate change better. In addition to surface melting caused by warm air, 11% of the ice loss resulted from “ice discharge,” associated with coastal glaciers affected by warmer ocean waters.
This study was presented at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly and underlines the urgency of glacier monitoring amid ongoing climate changes, as well as guides the design of future satellite missions aimed at better understanding land ice dynamics.
