Glacier mass loss passes the point of no return, researchers report
Researchers from the Universities of Bremen and Innsbruck have shown in a recent study that the further melting of glaciers cannot be prevented in the current century—even if all emissions were curtailed. However, due to the slow reaction of glaciers to climate change, human activity will have a massive impact beyond the 21st century. In the long run, 500 meters by car with a mid-range vehicle will cost one kilogram of glacier ice. The study has now been published in Nature Climate Change.
The photo shows a picture of the Hintereisferner and the Weisskugel in Tyrol, which was taken during a photo flight of the Institute for Atmospheric and Cryospheric Sciences of the University of Innsbruck at the end of August 2015. The two upper side glaciers (shown on the right) were still connected to the Hintereisferner just a few years ago. The snow deposits are no longer sufficient to keep the glacier in balance. Credit: Institute of Atmospheric and Cryospheric Sciences, University of Innsb