Energy & Science
Glaciers Are Melting More Rapidly, Risking Floods and Droughts
A new study found the Earth lost 30% more ice per year from 2015 to 2019 compared with the previous five years.
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The world’s glaciers are shrinking at a faster rate than before, with densely-populated parts of Asia at risk of flood and water shortages if the trend continues.
That’s the conclusion of a new study by ETH Zurich and University of Toulouse researchers, who found the world’s ice fields lost 298 gigatons of ice per year from 2015 to 2019, a 30% increase in the rate of retreat compared with the previous five years. Glaciers in Alaska, the Alps and Iceland are among those disappearing at the fastest pace.