Himalayan glaciers melt at an extraordinary rate, research finds

December 22, 2021: -Glaciers in the Himalayas are melting at an “exceptional” rate, according to new research that proves the massive ice sheets in the region have shrunk ten times faster in the past four decades than during the previous seven centuries.

On Monday, the research, published in the journal Scientific Reports, found that mass ice loss from almost 15,000 ice sheets in the Himalayas is exceptionally rapid compared with different parts of the world.

The Himalayan mountains are also referred to as the third pole because they hold the third-largest amount of glacier ice in the world, after Antarctica and the Arctic. The report said that the ice melt threatens agriculture and water supply for millions of people in South Asia and contributes to rising sea levels that threaten coastal communities worldwide.

Researchers found that the Himalayan glaciers have lost nearly 40% of their area in the previous several hundred years, or an estimated 390 to 586 cubic kilometers of ice enough to increase global sea levels 0.92 to 1.38 millimeters.

There is scientific consensus that human-caused climate change has resulted in accelerated ice melt from glaciers and polar ice sheets and higher ocean temperatures across the globe.

“The primary driver is changing climate, and the Himalayan glaciers don’t seem to be able to adjust fast enough to keep up with the climate changes,” said Jonathan Carrivick, a University of Leeds glaciologist and a co-author of the study.

Researchers said that shifts in the South Asian monsoon might also have played a role in the ice loss in the Himalayas.

According to NASA satellite data, global sea levels are forecast to rise between 2 and 6 feet by 2100, and such projections underestimate the impact of climate change on sea-level rise.

Scientists have warned that a dangerous sea-level rise will occur if global warming hits roughly 3 degrees Celsius, or 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit, above preindustrial levels. The Earth has surpassed 1 degree Celsius of warming.