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Swiss glaciers lose 10% of their volume in two years

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By illuminem briefings

· 2 min read


illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Guardian or enjoy below

🗞️ Driving the news: A recent report reveals that Swiss glaciers have experienced a staggering 10% volume loss over the past two years, attributed to climate breakdown caused by fossil fuel consumption, leading to hotter summers and winters with reduced snow volumes
• The rapid melt during 2022 and 2023 equals the glacier volume lost from 1960 to 1990

🔭 The context: The Swiss Academy of Sciences conducted the analysis, discovering that 4% of the total glacier volume in Switzerland disappeared this year alone 
• In 2022, the glacier volume saw the largest recorded decline, a 6% drop, depicting the alarming pace at which glacier melt is occurring

🌎 Why does it matter for the planet: The accelerated melting of glaciers is a stark representation of the profound impacts of climate change, with long-term consequences on global sea levels, ecosystems, and weather patterns

⏭️ What's next: Matthias Huss of Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (Glamos) indicates that even if global warming is restricted to 1.5C above preindustrial levels, only one-third of Switzerland's glacier volume is predicted to endure, transforming the iconic mountain scenery and revealing landscapes and entities previously concealed by ice

💬 One quote: "If we continue at this rate … we will see every year such bad years" (Matthias Huss, Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland)

📈 One stat: In the peak melt month of August, the Swiss weather service recorded the elevation at which precipitation freezes at a new overnight high of 5,289 metres (17,350ft), surpassing the previous year’s record and illustrating the extensive warmth experienced by the Swiss Alps

Click for more news covering the latest on climate change

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