2023-08-16 15:51:58
Globally, glaciers might lose half of their surface area by the end of the century. This will give rise to new ecosystems whose status is still uncertain, underlines a study with Swiss participation published in the journal Nature.
According to the evolution of global warming, the retreat of the glaciers will release an area estimated between three and a half times and eight times the surface of Switzerland, calculated the scientists, a Franco-Swiss interdisciplinary team.
This will result in one of the fastest changes in terrestrial ecosystems, Matthias Huss, glaciologist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) and co-author of this research, told Keystone-ATS. Having an understanding of these post-glacial ecosystems is important, the researcher added.
In particular, they might serve as a refuge for species driven out of other places by global warming. According to him, “these new surfaces freed from their ice must be placed under protection”. Currently, globally only half of the areas covered by glaciers are protected.
Scientists’ modeling shows that until 2040, glacier retreat will continue at the same rate regardless of the climate scenario. For the rest, until 2100, the estimates range from a loss oscillating between 22% with strong measures and 50% without measures.
For Matthias Huss, it is therefore still possible to save a considerable part of the glaciers by taking the appropriate climatic measures. In addition to ETH, the University of Friborg and the Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) also contributed to the study.
This article has been published automatically. Source: ats
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