Science, 1 August 2024
The current rate of glacier ice loss in the tropical Andes is unprecedented in at least the last 11,700 years, according to a new study. Researchers measured rare nuclides (isotopes) created when high-energy cosmic rays interact with rocks exposed to sunlight at the margins of glaciers in the tropical Andes. Their results showed that these locations were never exposed during the Holocene – the last 11,700 years – meaning that they remained covered by ice throughout this time period. These tropical glaciers are therefore smaller now than they have been in at least 11,700 years, signaling that substantial impacts on ecosystems and communities that rely on glaciers for freshwater have occurred even at today’s level of warming.
Full paper: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adg7546
ICIMOD, April 24, 2026 2026 marks the fourth consecutive year of below-average snow conditions in…
Ocean Science, 20 Apr 2026 Global warming and increased freshwater input from melting ice are…
Science, 23 Apr 2026 Specially-adapted species living in glacier regions face rapid snowpack and ice…
Science Advances, 24 Apr 2026 Observations from the grounding zone beneath the Ross Ice Shelf…
The Hindu Kush Himalaya faces rising climate extremes that threaten mountain communities, demanding a shift…
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 23 April 2026 Observations suggest we are currently tracking…