Latest news with #VrijeUniversityBrussel
News18
3 days ago
- Science
- News18
2°C Global Temperature Rise Could Melt 75% of Hindu Kush Himalayan Glaciers: Report
Last Updated: The study highlights that limiting global warming to 1.5°C, as per the 2015 Paris Agreement, could help preserve glacier ice across all Himalayan regions A new scientific study warns that a 2°C rise in global temperature could melt up to 75% of the Hindu Kush Himalayan glaciers by the century's end. These glaciers feed rivers that sustain nearly two billion people. Published in the journal Science, the study underscores the grave impact of climate change on one of the world's most vital water sources. The study indicates that if countries manage to limit the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, 40-45 percent of the ice in the glaciers of the Himalayas and the Caucasus Mountains could be preserved. Conversely, if the global temperature rises by 2.7 degrees Celsius by the century's end, only one-fourth of the world's glacier ice would remain. The study further highlights that the most significant glacier regions for human communities, such as the European Alps, the mountain ranges of the western US and Canada, and Iceland, would be severely affected. At a two degrees Celsius increase, these regions could lose almost all their ice, with only 10-15 percent remaining at 2020 levels. The Scandinavian mountains face an even graver threat, as no ice would be left on their glaciers at this temperature level. The study underscores that adhering to the 1.5 degree Celsius target set by the 2015 Paris Agreement would help preserve some glacier ice across all regions. The melting of glaciers poses a significant risk of submerging the world's plains. In response to this pressing issue, world leaders are gathering in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, for the first United Nations Conference on Glaciers starting on Friday. More than 50 countries are participating, including ministerial or high-level officials from 30 countries. Asian Development Bank Vice President Yingming Yang stated in Dushanbe, 'Melting glaciers are threatening life on an unprecedented scale, impacting the livelihoods of more than two billion people in Asia. Adopting clean energy to reduce emissions that warm the planet is the most effective way to slow the melting of glaciers." Dr. Harry Jekolaari, co-lead author of the study at Vrije University Brussel, emphasised, 'Our study has made it clear that even a slight increase in temperature matters. The choices we make today will have an impact for centuries and will determine how much of our glaciers can be preserved." First Published: May 30, 2025, 18:57 IST
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Sifted Through an Ancient Lakebed—And Found 1.5-Million-Year-Old Tools
A pilot project to scan the surface material of an Iraqi desert revealed 850 different artifacts from the Old and Middle Paleolithic eras. Included in the finds were ancient stone hand axes that date back to as far as 1.5 million years ago. The ancient lake that has long been home to all of these hand axes offers a peak into the early human activity of the region. A pilot project to investigate the archaeological surface material present in the Iraqi Western Desert recently discovered a bounty of finds from the Old and Middle Paleolithic era, including 850 different Stone Age artifacts. The find was enough for archaeologist Ella Egberts to declare the entire effort a 'huge success,' according to a statement from Vrije University Brussel. The team discovered seven Paleolithic sites, all located in an area just six by 12 miles in size. Surface-level excavation zeroed in on one site that featured a dried-up lakebed with a dry riverbed crossing the landscape. Egberts collected over 850 artifacts from this spot, including hand axes that may be as old as 1.5 million years. 'The other sites also deserve equally thorough systematic investigation,' Egberts said, 'which will undoubtedly yield similar quantities of lithic material.' The stone tools were quite the pull, considering the archaeologists who discovered them simply sifted through the surface and didn't conduct deep digs. Along with the ancient hand axes, the team also uncovered much more recent Levallois flakes. Considered more sophisticated than hand axes, the flakes are hand tools that date to between about 300,000 and 50,000 years ago. By examining the distribution of the sites and studying the area's geomorphological history, Egberts and her team the team found clues of early humans using the landscape. Expanding research into a larger area, Egberts believes, would allow researchers to gain a fresh perspective on how human evolution and behavior progressed on the Arabian Peninsula. Egberts said that research in Iraq has been limited in recent decades due to the instability of the region. There weren't issues in this particular effort, however, which was funded by the British Institute for the Study of Iraq. 'Apart from the presence of numerous checkpoints, we were able to carry out our work without any problems,' she said. 'The people are friendly, and it's actually very nice to work in Iraq.' The Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritages has encouraged the team to continue, which Egberts plans to do. Once she's able to secure the necessary funding, she hopes to reconstruct pictures of Pleistocene environmental changes and the early human presence and behavior in the Western Desert—hand axes and Levallois flakes included. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
