Record melting sees Swiss glaciers shrink 10% in five years

Glaciers in Switzerland have shrunk 10% in the past five years, a rate that has never been seen before in over a century of observations, according to new research published Tuesday.

The summer 2019 heatwave saw glacier melt rates break records, leading to huge losses in ice volume, reports the Cryospheric Commission (CC) of the Swiss Academy of Sciences.

Glaciers around the world are melting due to climate change, and this latest research shows the extent of the problem in Switzerland. Scientists from the CC took measurements from 20 glaciers in the nation and found that about 2% of Switzerland's total glacier volume was lost in the past year, according to a statement from the organization..

Initial signs for 2019 had been encouraging after glacier snow cover was measured at 20-40% higher than normal in April and May, according to the statement, following a very cold January with lots of precipitation. Melting was particularly severe in eastern Switzerland and the northern side of the Alps, according to the research, while the southern Gotthard region lost less glacier volume.

Link: https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/15/europe/switzerland-glacier-melting-scli-intl-scn/index.html