Worldwide, glaciers are being lost. Amongst the most dramatic evidence of climatic warming is the retreat and disappearance of mountain glaciers around the world. Retreat has accelerated worldwide over the last fifty years 1 and we now face the reality of permanent loss of mountain glaciers.
Where are glaciers disappearing?
The extent and volume of glacial ice has been in decline since the Little Ice Age (LIA), with increasing temperatures globally resulting in glacial mass loss and a prevalence of negative mass balance in nearly all glaciated regions of the world 2–4.
For instance, mass loss across High Mountain Asia (HMA) alone over the last two decades has been estimated at 267±16 Gt yr-1, accounting for 21±3 % of the observed sea level rise over the same period 4. Elsewhere, particularly strong acceleration in ice loss has also been documented in Alaska, whilst there are suggestions that Andean glaciers are the highest contributors per unit area to sea level rise 5.
When is a glacier ‘lost’?
There is no universally accepted point of ‘death’ for a glacier, but the commonly accepted guideline is when mass is less than 0.1 km2 – the minimum size to be officially classed as a glacier.
At least two countries have been said to have ‘lost’ all of their glaciers – Slovenia and Venezuela –and they won’t be the last.
Complete disappearance
.jpg){kind=link}
Sadly, there are many examples of ‘lost’ glaciers worldwide. For example, the Chacaltaya Glacier in Bolivia officially disappeared in 2009 due to missing precipitation during an unusually warm El Niño (figure 1), leading to the loss of a popular ski resort.
Elsewhere, glaciers are edging closer to complete disappearance. In Slovenia, Skuta’s glacial area has been under the threshold since 1969, and Triglav glacier since 1986.
Triglav glacier has only been prevented from disappearing by snow-rich winters sustaining its current extent, without which the glacier will undoubtedly be lost 6.
Mexico’s last glacier, Gran Norte, is expected to lose its status sometime between 2026 and 2033 7.
The case of Venezuela’s lost glaciers
Once home to six large glaciers, Venezuela now only has one glacier remaining.
Located on Humboldt Peak, and known locally as La Corona, the countries last glacier likely lost its official glacial status in 2016 but is currently still sustained by annual snowfall in a remote basin only accessible on-foot by a two-day trek.
As the last of the famous ‘White Eagles’ – glaciers that capped the mountains above the city of Mérida – it is too late to save the glaciers of Venezuela, however many see their demise as a call to action on climate change 8 in the hope other glaciers could be saved the same fate.
Summary
In summary, as the climate warms, mountain glaciers around the world are losing mass. Many have already met their end, whilst many more are on the trajectory to disappearance. In the next decade or so, the glaciated landscapes that we know and love are likely to look very different. How we interact with and use these mountain environments will need to change with them.