Melting glaciers threaten global water security [View all]

Melting glaciers threaten global water security
02-25-2025

ByJordan Joseph
Earth.com staff writer

Glaciers hold vast amounts of fresh water that are essential for people and the environment. Recent findings show that these ice bodies have been shrinking faster than many expected, sparking serious concerns among experts. Such large-scale ice loss has been tied to rising temperatures in various regions.

An international research team recently tracked changes in nearly 275,000 glaciers since the early 2000s. The analysis indicates that these glaciers have lost around five percent of their total volume, a development that few anticipated at this scale.

“We compiled 233 estimates of regional glacier mass changes from about 450 data contributors organised in 35 research teams,” explained Michael Zemp, who led the study. The goal of this extensive analysis was to create a more reliable view of glacial decline worldwide.

Measuring the worldwide impact

Researchers have linked melting glaciers to a rise in sea level of 18 millimeters. The infusion of meltwater is ranked as the second biggest contributor to rising seas, following the thermal expansion of warming ocean waters.


More:
https://www.earth.com/news/melting-glaciers-threaten-global-water-security/