Context: Venezuela has likely become the first country in modern history to lose all its glaciers. Scientists expected the Humboldt glacier to last another decade. However, it melted at a faster rate than expected.
About the News
- Venezuela used to be home to six glaciers, located at about 5,000 metres above sea level in the Andes mountains. By 2011, five of them had vanished.
- Last of these six glaciers is Humboldt glacier. The glacier had shrunk from 450 hectares to just 2 hectares. Now it has become too small to be classed as a glacier.
There is no universal consensus on how large a mass of ice has to be to qualify as a glacier, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) says a commonly accepted guideline is around 10 hectares.
- Scientists expected the Humboldt glacier to last another decade. But it melted at a faster rate than expected, leading to its downgrade from a glacier to an ice field.
- The concerning issue is that the other glaciers across the world are shrinking and disappearing faster than researchers thought.
- According to one study published in the science journal in 2023 two-thirds of global glaciers are projected to melt out of existence by 2100 at current climate change trends.
Reason behind such shrink
- Primary reason is global warming - The Andes Mountain range runs through parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. It has witnessed a temperature increase of a high rate of 0.10 degrees Celsius in the past seven decades. That is one of the major reasons why Venezuela has lost all of its glaciers.
- In the case of the Humboldt glacier, the melting was accelerated by El Niño, which developed in July 2023.
Glaciers
- A glacier is a large, perennial accumulation of crystalline ice, snow, rock, sediment, and often liquid water that originates on land and moves down slope under the influence of its own weight and gravity.
- Typically, glaciers exist and form in areas where:
- Mean annual temperatures are close to the freezing point
- Winter precipitation produces significant accumulations of snow
- Temperatures throughout the rest of the year do not result in the complete loss of the previous winter’s snow accumulation
- Glaciers are classified by their size (i.e. ice sheet, ice cap,), location (valley glacier, cirque glacier), and thermal regime (i.e., polar vs. temperate).
Significance of Glaciers
- Source of freshwater: Glaciers hold 68.7% of the total freshwater found on Earth and can be found primarily in polar regions. These giant masses of ice supply fresh running water to the environment as they slowly melt throughout warmer, dryer seasons. This allows for life to flourish and survive harsh conditions year around.
- Ocean Currents: As glacial water melts, its exceptionally cold temperature creates a dense body of water compared to the rest of the ocean. This allows it to sink to the bottom of the sea and travel south. As this happens, the warmer water rises to the top and heads to the poles, primarily the North Pole. This constant movement of water is what brings us ocean currents.
- Indicator of climate change: Glaciers are sensitive indicators of changing climate. While other indicators of warming may take time to manifest, the rate of glacial melting highlights the rising average temperature almost immediately.
Impact of Glacial Melting
- Overdependence on Rainfall: As a crucial source of freshwater, their disappearance would mean that one would have to be entirely dependent on spot rainfall for freshwater.
- Survival of species: The cold water that runs off glaciers keeps downstream water temperatures cooler. This is crucial for many aquatic species as they need cold water temperatures to survive. Glacier loss directly impacts such species, which are an essential part of the food web.
- Rising Sea level: As glaciers melt, the water they release adds to the global sea level, which can lead to flooding and erosion of coastal areas.
- Loss of cultural identity: Glaciers are part of the region’s cultural identity and for mountaineering and touristic activities. Their loss will surely create an irreversible situation which will have adverse impact of socio-cultural and economic milieu of the region.
For further readings refer: