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Glacial Retreat & Ice Thinning
Why a famously Stable Glacier in Argentina is now under threat
Context: Once considered a rare stable glacier in a warming world, Argentina’s Perito Moreno Glacier is now thinning rapidly, with significant loss recorded since 2019 (Communications Earth & Environment).
What are the major causes of glacial retreat?
- Accelerated warming and altered precipitation: Global glacier mass loss averaged ~273 ± 16 Gt/year from 2000–2023, with clear acceleration, due largely to rising temperatures and changing snowfall patterns.
- Continental water loss amplifying melt: Land-water depletion—groundwater, soil moisture, lakes—is now contributing more to sea-level rise than ice-sheet melt, compounding stress on glaciers worldwide.
- Feedback mechanisms and surface darkening: Reduced albedo from surface melting and deposited light-absorbing particles (e.g., black carbon) intensifies local heating and melt, accelerating retreat.
What are the major impacts of glacial retreat and thinning of ice?
- Rising sea levels: Melting glaciers contribute significantly to global sea-level rise; combined with continental water loss, this elevates the urgency for coastal and island nations to mitigate.
- Water insecurity: Communities dependent on meltwater for drinking, irrigation, and hydropower face shortages, particularly in mountain-river basins such as Himalayas, Andes, and Alps.
- Ecosystem and biodiversity disruption: Cold-water species and alpine ecosystems lose habitat, threatening biodiversity and traditional pastoral livelihoods.
- Risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs): Thinning glaciers often leave behind unstable moraine-dammed lakes; potential outburst floods threaten downstream settlements in places like Nepal, Peru, and the Indian Himalayas.
What measures can be taken to address glacial retreat and thinning of ice?
- Global Climate Action: Cut greenhouse gases to reach net-zero by mid-century. Use climate finance (UNFCCC, GCF) for cross-border glacier monitoring and adaptation.
- Monitoring & Early Warning: Standardised tracking via GTN-G/WGMS mass balance and remote sensing. Integrate satellite, radar, laser, and UAV data for structural assessments.
- Adaptation & Risk Reduction: Mitigate GLOFs with controlled drainage, hazard maps, and community early warning. Use reflective covers on tourism-linked glaciers to slow melt. Restore watersheds with reforestation and sustainable land use.
- Policy & Community Engagement: Create glacier conservation zones; link science to disaster and water policy. Promote glacier literacy in mountain communities. Strengthen India’s MoES-led glacier monitoring with ICIMOD collaboration.
