Italy's Ventina glacier has melted so much geologists now can only monitor it remotely
After this year's hot summer, geologists discovered that the simple stakes used as benchmarks to measure the glacier's retraction each year are now buried under rockslides and debris that have made the terrain too unsteady for future in-person visits.
The Lombardy Glaciological Service said Monday that it will now use drone imagery and remote sensing to keep track of the ongoing shrinkage.
Geologists say that the Ventina glacier has already lost 1.7 kilometres in length since the first measuring benchmarks were positioned at the front of the glacier in 1895.
The melting has accelerated in recent years, with the glacier losing 431 metres in the last 10 years, nearly half of that since 2021, the service said. It's another example of how accelerating global warming is melting and shrinking Europe's glaciers, causing a host of environmental and other impacts.
'While we could still hope until the 1980s that there would be normal cycles (of retraction) or at least a contained retraction, in the last 40 years something truly striking has occurred,' said Andrea Toffaletti, a member of the Lombardy Glaciological Service.
Italy's mountain glaciers, which are found throughout the Alps and Dolomites in the north and along the central Apennines, have been receding for years, thanks to inadequate snowfall in the winter and record-setting hot summers. Glaciers always melt some in summer, with the runoff fueling mountain streams and rivers.
But the hot summers are 'no longer able to guarantee the survival of the winter snowpack,' that keeps the glacier intact, Toffaletti said.
'In order to regenerate and remain in balance, a certain amount of residual snow from the winter must remain on the glacier's surface at the end of the summer. And this is happening less and less frequently,' said Toffaletti.
According to the Lombardy service, the Alps represent a climate hotspot, recording double the global average of temperature increases since pre-industrial times, resulting in the loss of over 64 per cent of the volume of Alpine glaciers.
In February, the journal Nature reported on a study showing the world's glaciers lost ice at the rate of about 255 billion tons annually from 2000 to 2011, but that quickened to about 346 billion tons annually over about the next decade.
Silvia Stellacci, The Associated Press
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CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
Italy's Ventina glacier has melted so much geologists now can only monitor it remotely
ROME — Italy's Ventina glacier, one of the biggest in northern Lombardy, has melted so much due to climate change that geologists can no longer measure it the way they have for the past 130 years. After this year's hot summer, geologists discovered that the simple stakes used as benchmarks to measure the glacier's retraction each year are now buried under rockslides and debris that have made the terrain too unsteady for future in-person visits. The Lombardy Glaciological Service said Monday that it will now use drone imagery and remote sensing to keep track of the ongoing shrinkage. Geologists say that the Ventina glacier has already lost 1.7 kilometres in length since the first measuring benchmarks were positioned at the front of the glacier in 1895. The melting has accelerated in recent years, with the glacier losing 431 metres in the last 10 years, nearly half of that since 2021, the service said. It's another example of how accelerating global warming is melting and shrinking Europe's glaciers, causing a host of environmental and other impacts. 'While we could still hope until the 1980s that there would be normal cycles (of retraction) or at least a contained retraction, in the last 40 years something truly striking has occurred,' said Andrea Toffaletti, a member of the Lombardy Glaciological Service. Italy's mountain glaciers, which are found throughout the Alps and Dolomites in the north and along the central Apennines, have been receding for years, thanks to inadequate snowfall in the winter and record-setting hot summers. Glaciers always melt some in summer, with the runoff fueling mountain streams and rivers. But the hot summers are 'no longer able to guarantee the survival of the winter snowpack,' that keeps the glacier intact, Toffaletti said. 'In order to regenerate and remain in balance, a certain amount of residual snow from the winter must remain on the glacier's surface at the end of the summer. And this is happening less and less frequently,' said Toffaletti. According to the Lombardy service, the Alps represent a climate hotspot, recording double the global average of temperature increases since pre-industrial times, resulting in the loss of over 64 per cent of the volume of Alpine glaciers. In February, the journal Nature reported on a study showing the world's glaciers lost ice at the rate of about 255 billion tons annually from 2000 to 2011, but that quickened to about 346 billion tons annually over about the next decade. Silvia Stellacci, The Associated Press
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Italy's Ventina glacier has melted so much geologists now can only monitor it remotely
ROME (AP) — Italy's Ventina glacier, one of the biggest in northern Lombardy, has melted so much due to climate change that geologists can no longer measure it the way they have for the past 130 years. After this year's hot summer, geologists discovered that the simple stakes used as benchmarks to measure the glacier's retraction each year are now buried under rockslides and debris that have made the terrain too unsteady for future in-person visits. The Lombardy Glaciological Service said Monday that it will now use drone imagery and remote sensing to keep track of the ongoing shrinkage. Geologists say that the Ventina glacier has already lost 1.7 kilometers (1 mile) in length since the first measuring benchmarks were positioned at the front of the glacier in 1895. The melting has accelerated in recent years, with the glacier losing 431 meters (471 yards) in the last 10 years, nearly half of that since 2021, the service said. It's another example of how accelerating global warming is melting and shrinking Europe's glaciers, causing a host of environmental and other impacts. 'While we could still hope until the 1980s that there would be normal cycles (of retraction) or at least a contained retraction, in the last 40 years something truly striking has occurred,' said Andrea Toffaletti, a member of the Lombardy Glaciological Service. Italy's mountain glaciers, which are found throughout the Alps and Dolomites in the north and along the central Apennines, have been receding for years, thanks to inadequate snowfall in the winter and record-setting hot summers. Glaciers always melt some in summer, with the runoff fueling mountain streams and rivers. But the hot summers are 'no longer able to guarantee the survival of the winter snowpack,' that keeps the glacier intact, Toffaletti said. 'In order to regenerate and remain in balance, a certain amount of residual snow from the winter must remain on the glacier's surface at the end of the summer. And this is happening less and less frequently,' said Toffaletti. According to the Lombardy service, the Alps represent a climate hotspot, recording double the global average of temperature increases since pre-industrial times, resulting in the loss of over 64% of the volume of Alpine glaciers. In February, the journal Nature reported on a study showing the world's glaciers lost ice at the rate of about 255 billion tons (231 billion metric tons) annually from 2000 to 2011, but that quickened to about 346 billion tons (314 billion metric tons) annually over about the next decade.
Globe and Mail
2 days ago
- Globe and Mail
Globe Climate: The rise of weather content on social media
If you're reading this on the web or someone forwarded this e-mail newsletter to you, you can sign up for Globe Climate and all Globe newsletters here. Good afternoon, and welcome to Globe Climate, a newsletter about climate change, environment and resources in Canada. A manatee was recently spotted off the coast of Massachusetts for the first time in almost a decade. The threatened species usually makes its habitat in warmer southern Gulf waters, so scientists want to monitor its condition to see if a rescue is necessary. In 2008 and 2009, different manatees were sighted in Cape Cod Bay – the furthest north the animals have ever been identified. Both were eventually rescued. Anyone who sees the manatee is asked to document their GPS position and call the stranding network hotline, (508) 743-9548. Now, let's catch you up on other news. For this week's deeper dive, we closer look at the online world of watching weather. How often do you check your weather app? Or... weather apps? Online culture reporter Samantha Edwards recently took a deep dive into the new big world of weather data. Once the domain of professionals, climate information gathered from satellites and radar models are now easily accessible online, giving amateur forecasters an unprecedented amount of raw data. 'I immersed myself into the digital world of weather nerds, amateur forecasters and content creators. I joined niche online forums, subreddits and Facebook groups, subscribed to YouTubers who livestream during extreme weather events, and followed weather influencers,' she wrote in the morning update newsletter. With a plethora of new weather apps, we have access to real-time information that can help us better plan our lives and time outdoors – from where there will be heavy rain to extreme heat. On Reddit and niche online forums, weather nerds analyze and debate the output of forecasts. On YouTube and TikTok, 'storm streamers' go live for hours during extreme weather events, providing real-time updates and sharing on-the-ground photos sent in from their devoted followers. But the flood of data can also consume us, lead to misinformation and heighten climate anxiety while at the same time diluting important updates about flooding and wildfire threats. For the past few summers, Aspen Murray has started to check a new data point every day on her weather app: air quality. 'Getting accustomed to checking the air quality has been something that's really made me think more about my climate anxiety,' she said. 'Growing up, that's something that I never would have thought of or worried about.' Experts also warn that the overexposure to weather warnings, especially if they're poorly worded or not local, can lead to 'alert fatigue' and may result in tuning out crucial information. Plus, during extreme weather events, disinformation from high-profile conspiracy theorists is drowning out emergency response efforts. On Facebook, Samantha stumbled upon a group called Ontario Storm Reports, which was started by the former storm chaser Adam Skinner and now has tens of thousands of members. He says that the majority of people who post in the group, and also watch his livestreams during severe weather, have weather anxiety but find the knowledge more comforting. 'The unknown is much more scary,' he said. Sarah Goodman: Ottawa must prioritize climate tech in Canada's new defence strategy Stephen Maher: The people opposing Nova Scotia's ban on accessing the woods don't understand our culture Julia Zarankin: To my surprise, I learned that birding can be an adrenaline-fuelled extreme sport Conservatives plan national campaign to scrap zero-emission vehicle mandate Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre pledged that his party will embark on a national campaign to push the Liberal government to scrap the policy he's dubbed the 'Carney tax.' Poilievre led the charge as the Conservatives attacked the consumer carbon price over the last two years, which eventually played a role to end the so-called carbon tax earlier this year. Now the Conservative leader claims the Liberal EV mandates 'would literally erase many small towns from the map.' We've launched the The Climate Exchange, an interactive, digital hub where The Globe answers your most pressing questions about climate change. We have been collecting hundreds of questions and posing them to experts. The answers can be found with the help of a search tool developed by The Globe that makes use of artificial intelligence to match readers' questions with the closest answer drafted. You can ask a question using this form. We want to hear from you. E-mail us: GlobeClimate@ Do you know someone who needs this newsletter? Send them to our Newsletters page.
