Yala Glacier in the Himalayas Expected to Disappear by the 2040s

 Yala Glacier in the Himalayas Expected to Disappear by the 2040s

The Yala Glacier in Nepal has retreated by 680 meters and shrunk by 36% in size between 1974 and 2021. It is the only glacier in the entire Himalayas listed in the Global Glacier Casualty List (GGCL), which highlights the accelerating impact of climate change on glaciers in the region.

The cryosphere, which includes all frozen parts of the Earth, such as snow, ice, and frozen ground, is significantly affected. The GGCL project, launched in 2024, is a collaboration among Rice University, the University of Iceland, the Iceland Glaciological Society, the World Glacier Monitoring Service, and UNESCO.

About Glacier Retreat:

Glacier retreat refers to the shrinking of glaciers in size and mass due to melting, evaporation, and other factors.

• Glaciers Already Lost: The Pico Humboldt Glacier in Venezuela (2024) and the Sarenne Glacier in France (2023) have already disappeared.
• The Dagu Glacier in China is projected to vanish by 2030.

Impact of Melting Glaciers/Cryosphere:

• Disruption of Ecosystems and Livelihoods: Glaciers and ice sheets contain around 70% of the world’s freshwater, which is crucial for ecosystems and human life. For instance, 240 million people in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region rely on the cryosphere for survival.

• Increased Risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs): As glaciers melt rapidly, unstable glacial lakes form, which can breach and trigger catastrophic floods.

• Climate Feedback Loop: The melting of glaciers reduces Earth's reflectivity (albedo), causing more heat to be absorbed and accelerating global warming.

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