Everest glaciers may disappear by 2100
Kathmandu:
AFP
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Rising Temperatures Could Reduce Their Volume By Up To 99%, Says New Study Glaciers in Nepal's Everest region could shrink at least 70% or even disappear entirely by the end of the century as a result of climate change, scientists warned on Wednesday .Researchers in Nepal, the Netherlands and France came to the conclusion after studying weather patterns on the roof of the world and then created a model of conditions on Everest to determine the future impact of rising temperatures on its glaciers.
“The worst-case scenario shows a 99% loss in glacial WHITE COVER AT RISK mass... but even if we start to slow down emissions some what, we may still see a 70% reduction,“ said Joseph Shea, who led the study. Shea was also part of a research team last year, who used satellite imagery to show how Nepal's glaciers had already shrunk by nearly a quarter between 1977 and 2010.
The latest study, published in The Cryosphere, paints a grim picture of the impact of climate change on the world's highest peak by 2100. Shea, a glacier hydrologist at the Kathmandubased International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, said melting glaciers could form deep lakes which could burst and flood mountain communities living down stream. Besides it would also affect water supplies in the Everest region, with lower volumes of snowmelt flowing into the Dudh Kosi river, which provides water for Nepalis downstream, Shea warned. “The decline during the pre-monsoon period will probably have an impact on any future hydropower projects due to lack of rainwater to meet power needs,“ he added.
Glacial loss in Nepal raises concerns over future access to water resources, particularly in regions where groundwater is limited and monsoon rains are erratic.
“The worst-case scenario shows a 99% loss in glacial WHITE COVER AT RISK mass... but even if we start to slow down emissions some what, we may still see a 70% reduction,“ said Joseph Shea, who led the study. Shea was also part of a research team last year, who used satellite imagery to show how Nepal's glaciers had already shrunk by nearly a quarter between 1977 and 2010.
The latest study, published in The Cryosphere, paints a grim picture of the impact of climate change on the world's highest peak by 2100. Shea, a glacier hydrologist at the Kathmandubased International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, said melting glaciers could form deep lakes which could burst and flood mountain communities living down stream. Besides it would also affect water supplies in the Everest region, with lower volumes of snowmelt flowing into the Dudh Kosi river, which provides water for Nepalis downstream, Shea warned. “The decline during the pre-monsoon period will probably have an impact on any future hydropower projects due to lack of rainwater to meet power needs,“ he added.
Glacial loss in Nepal raises concerns over future access to water resources, particularly in regions where groundwater is limited and monsoon rains are erratic.
