Natural Environment Blog

According to scientists at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, if summer temperatures increase by 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius), all 5,150 glaciers in the European Alps could be gone by the year 2100.

Even if temperatures only rise by 5 degrees Fahrenheit  (3 degrees Celsius), 80 percent of these glaciers will melt away.

Now, if you think this sounds a bit alarmist, just look at what has actually happened to these glaciers over the last 160 years or so. These glaciers have shrunk so much that they now only cover half the are they did back in 1850. Even worse, the glacier recession has sped up over recent years as the global climate increases.

And don’t forget all the other glaciers around the world too! These scientists are only referring to the European Alps. Given there are glaciers in 47 countries, who knows how many of those will still be around by the end of the century!

The mountains of the European Alps are growing taller, partly due to global warming. Same thing is happening with the mountains in South America.

How does this happen?

As the climate becomes warmer, the glaciers that sit on top of the mountains melt. Glaciers are of course gigantic blocks of ice, formed from compacted layers of snow. These gigantic blocks of ice are also very heavy. So heavy in fact, that they are preventing the mountains from reaching their optimum height. As a glacier melts, it allows the earth beneath it to gradually spring back to where it would have been if the glacier hadn’t been there.

How Fast Are The Mountains Growing?

The mountains of the French Alps are growing at a rate of .035 inches per year. That works out to be around 1.8 inches taller than they are today.

So, if you’re a mountain climber, get to the French Alps quick - before they grow another inch!