Swiss glaciers lose 10% of their volume in two years

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🗞️ 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

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