Africa is about to lose its last glaciers. New study published in the journal Environmental studiesThe forecast shows that if melting continues at this rate, ice fields on this continent have shrunk by more than half since the 2000s. major snow-capped peaks will disappear by the middle of this century.
The study is a joint effort between the Institute of Geography of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, and other institutions in New Zealand, the United States and Austria. Research group used satellite imagery and other historical data to keep pace with melting glaciers of Africa.
The researchers emphasize that this analysis represents an important update on the continent’s icy peaks. For example, the last time the surface of a glacier was measured in Mount Kenya5199 meters high, was in 2016. The same thing happens with Kilimanjaro, northern Tanzania, or the Rwenzori Mountains, on the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.which have not been studied since 2011 and 2005, respectively.
These three glacial regions are located in the center of the tropics, near the equator. Thus, the study highlights that bothA thaw in this area will not have as much to do with rising global temperatures., a consequence of climate change. Last year was the hottest on record. And the heat has led to the melting of glaciers in other parts of the world, such as the European Alps. The problem in this area is related to rain.
Africa’s glaciers are a model of what’s happening around the world
These areas have seen less and less rain since the late 19th century, the study warns. Glaciers are maintained in this part of the world by precipitation that falls as snow at high altitudes. AND If precipitation decreases, the ice is not replaced and the glacier begins to retreat..
According to researchers, the rainy season in these regions of Africa has become drier and is associated with climate change. The change was terrifying when comparing the new dimensions to the old ones. Anne Hinzmann, one of the study participants, explained that More than 90% of these African glaciers have disappeared since they were first mapped. at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
“A decline of this magnitude is alarming,” Hinzmann said this in a statement. “Africa’s glaciers are a powerful indicator of the effects of climate change.” But this is already happening all over the world.
Swiss glaciers lost as much in the summers of 2022 and 2023 as they lost between 1960 and 1990. In two years, the same amount of mass melted, the disappearance of which previously took 30 years.. Another study published last year found that glaciers in Asia’s Hindu Kush Himalaya mountain region were melting. 65% faster between 2010 and 2019, compared to the previous decade.
Africa’s glaciers will disappear by mid-century, but the fate will be the same for at least half of those still around the world. Research published in the journal The science Last January he claimed that 49% of the planet’s glaciers will melt by the end of this century due to climate change. This will happen even if the world’s governments manage to keep warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial times.
Source: Hiper Textual
