Latest news with #melting
CBC
3 days ago
- Science
- CBC
As Canada's thickest glaciers melt, Yukon First Nations wonder what will happen if they disappear
Ron Chambers understands the power of the St. Elias glaciers, because he's experienced it first-hand. He felt it when he camped next to Logan glacier during one of his trips into the vast St. Elias mountain range that extends from the southwestern coast of Alaska inland to the border of Kluane National Park in the Yukon. "We heard huge booming sounds travelling down through the glacier. We also heard sounds like motors, we thought airplanes were coming and nothing showed up. And it was the sounds that the glacier was making." Chambers is a Champagne and Aishihik First Nations citizen and served as the park warden for Kluane National Park for 22 years. He was also the first Yukoner and First Nations man to summit Mount Logan, Canada's highest peak, deep in the St. Elias range in 1975. Now, he says he wants to raise awareness about what's happening to the glaciers that lie just beyond his home. "Even looking out my window in Haines Junction there's a small glacier on the mountains just in front of me — and some of those are disappearing pretty directly," he said. For generations, glaciers in the St. Elias mountain range have shaped the lives of the First Nations people that lived next to them, but human activity is also changing the glaciers. Today, those glaciers are melting at rapid rates due to climate change and local First Nations have been left wondering what their future could look like if the glaciers disappear. For two weeks this July, researchers stayed at the Kluane Lake Research Station on the outskirts of Kluane National Park to study how the glaciers are changing as they melt. Luke Copland, a professor at the University of Ottawa, has been studying these glaciers for almost 20 years. He says he's watched some of them get smaller and smaller each year. "The big ones will be around for a long time — many, many centuries into the future. But these really small ones, those ones are melting away really quickly," Copland said. "And you project that another century there won't be any [glaciers] left of that kind of size." Climate change affecting glacier movement The St. Elias mountain range is home to the largest non-polar icefields in the world. Those icefields are made up of multiple glaciers, which wind through the mountain range like arteries, supplying water to rivers and lakes. The glaciers are dynamic, they can surge forward and retreat, altering the landscape as they move and creating a lasting impact on local ecosystems and communities. Copland wants to understand how glacier motion is being affected by climate change, because that could have an impact on nearby communities in the short term. Glaciers could advance or retreat more rapidly, or more slowly, as they continue to melt, he says. Local communities are already seeing the effects of rapid climate-induced melting. In 2016, warm weather caused the Kaskawulsh glacier to melt even more quickly, creating a gorge. The gorge diverted the water away from the Ä'äy Chù, or Slims River, which feeds Kluane Lake. Since then, water levels in the lake have dropped by a metre. Alyce Johnson, a Kluane First Nation elder and teacher, says she's worried about how chum salmon in Kluane Lake are being affected by lower water levels. "Chum come from the ocean and they come all the way here to the end of this lake. That's where they spawn," she said. "And so with the decrease of water flowing through, that impacts the fish." Glaciers intertwined with Yukon First Nations culture Johnson says her people's stories "live in the glacial system." "The glacial system is a resource. It's a body of water, of frozen lands that are still there that were used as transportation routes," she said. "In our oral histories, our grandmothers talk about going to potlatches or going to a funeral … they would come across the glaciers." Johnson wonders what will happen if in another century some of the glaciers her ancestors once travelled across no longer exist. "How does that impact the language? How does it impact our culture?" she said. "It's going to change, you know, because we rely on that water, we rely on having that relationship to the land." John Fingland, a Champagne and Aishihik First Nations citizen and historian says his nation also has stories and lessons related to the glaciers. This summer, he's been sharing those stories with youth in his community. Despite his understanding of glaciers' importance to Champagne and Aishihik First Nations culture, Fingland says he's not afraid of what could happen if the glaciers disappear. "When you study history, you realize that everything is change…. Our culture is adaptation to change," Fingland said. "When you stand on the glacier that's right beside Mount Logan, you're more than 1,000 meters above the bottom of the valley. And so I'm like, this won't happen in my lifetime, but at some point, if that all melts out, there's a whole other world." Local melting has global ramifications Local communities may be most directly affected by melting glaciers in the St. Elias mountain range, but as these massive icefields melt, researchers say the impacts could be felt around the world. "Globally, about one quarter of all melt coming from glaciers and ice caps – so this excludes ice sheets – is coming from the mountains in this area," said Copland. For Copland and other researchers, a priority now is to take long-term measurements and document what's happening locally, and then apply that to understanding the bigger picture. "The message is that the glaciers are important to everything, locally and globally," Copland said. For Johnson, Chambers and Fingland, it's also about telling others why the glaciers matter. "It's important for glaciologists to come in, understand the stories, understand the landscape, and build that relationship with the Southern Tutchone people and those of us that reside here," Johnson said.
CBC
7 days ago
- Science
- CBC
What happens if Canada's thickest glaciers disappear?
The St. Elias mountain range is home to the world's largest non-polar icefields. In recent years, climate change has caused glaciers within the icefields to melt at increasingly rapid rates. Now, people in communities — whose lives have been shaped by glaciers for generations — are left wondering what could happen, if some of them disappear.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists discover worrying phenomenon after drilling into glaciers: 'We need to be prepared'
Scientists discover worrying phenomenon after drilling into glaciers: 'We need to be prepared' Scientists tracking the loss of glaciers in the Swiss Alps have uncovered an alarming development regarding their disappearance, and it could have devastating implications for the future. What's happening? Most discussions about the loss of glaciers tend to focus on the polar ice caps, but Switzerland is rightly regarded as the undisputed European capital of glaciers. There are around 1,400 glaciers in the landlocked European nation that provide drinking water and irrigation for millions. As global temperatures rise, they're disappearing at an unsustainable rate. The Associated Press reported that 1,000 smaller glaciers have been lost, and things don't look better for the larger ones. Scientists tracking the glaciers are drilling holes to gain further insights, and they have uncovered an alarming detail. Typically, a glacier melts from the top, but as glaciologist Matthias Huss of the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich explained, they're also disappearing from the bottom. "In recent years we realized at several sites that there is a substantive melt from the bottom," he said. "If there are some channels in the ice through which air is circulating, this can excavate big holes under the ice." Why is glacier loss so significant? Losing glaciers is bad enough, but the nature of the melt means there's another danger, and it has already occurred. In May, ancient ice from the Birch Glacier gave way, and Blatten, a tiny mountainside village, was destroyed in an instant. Fortunately, residents were evacuated ahead of time, but a village that had existed for 800 years is no more. Without action, many more homes could be lost forever. Up to two-thirds of the world's glaciers could be lost by the end of the century as the planet heats up from the use of dirty energy. Extreme weather events will become ever more common and destructive as a result. What's being done to protect glaciers? In the short term, the researchers are employing giant sheets to cover the glaciers and slow down the melt. In the long term, it's vital to bring down planet-heating pollution. Switzerland has made progress in this regard; the International Energy Agency reports the country has reduced its carbon dioxide emissions 24% since 2000, but more aggressive adoption of clean energy is needed worldwide. As Huss noted, Blatten's fate serves as a crucial warning of the dangers ahead and the importance of staying informed on the issues. "I think this is the main lesson to be learned, that we need to be prepared," he said. Do you worry about air pollution in your town? All the time Often Only sometimes Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Yahoo
Scientists issue warning after discovering worrying phenomenon on iconic US mountaintop: 'The trends were clear'
Mount Rainier's glaciers have always done more than decorate the skyline. The News Tribune reports they anchor ecosystems, feed rivers, and support nearby communities. Now, they're melting away faster than many imagined. In the early 1900s, Mount Rainier had 30 glaciers. Today, it is estimated that only 26 remain, according to The News Tribune. Scientists say the Ohanapecosh Glacier may vanish within a decade. Retired National Park Service geologist Jon Riedel told The News Tribune, "The trends were clear at Mount Rainier: that the glaciers were losing more to melt in the summer than they were gaining in the winter." Years ago, tourists visited the Paradise Ice Caves, tucked inside the Paradise Glacier. "I think the real warning bell for a lot of people was — 'have you heard of the Paradise ice caves?'" Paul Kennard, a retired National Park Service geomorphologist, told The News Tribune. The caves, famous for their glowing blue formations, closed in 1980 when falling ice made visits too dangerous. "Now, the caves are gone," Kennard said. Melting glaciers do more than erase iconic views. They feed rivers that power homes, water crops, and keep fish alive. "These rivers are going to be really impacted by glaciers diminishing, and water resources in the Pacific Northwest might seem infinite, but they're not," Jill Pelto, art director for the North Cascades Glacier Climate Project, told The News Tribune. A lack of glaciers means less meltwater, which threatens the salmon populations essential to local communities and wildlife. Jacques White, CEO of Long Live the Kings, said, "If fish or wildlife depend on large volumes of cold water into summer, they're not getting it because the major melt has occurred earlier." Mauri Pelto, director of the North Cascade Glacier Climate Project, explained to The News Tribune, "There's certain glaciers that don't extend up toward the summit … those are the glaciers that are going to be lost in the next 20 years." Rockfalls also become more common as ice disappears. In 2019, one rockfall killed a climber and injured two others on Liberty Ridge. Sudden glacial floods can send water and debris rushing down trails without warning. Do you worry about air pollution in your town? All the time Often Only sometimes Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Experts connect glacier loss to Earth's rising temperatures. Another study tracking Greenland's ice sheet found major losses linked to warmer seasons. Large policy shifts matter, but daily choices help too. Walking or using public transit, switching to electric cars, and cutting out single-use plastics reduce pollution that fuels this warming. Some researchers are working to keep freshwater flowing from vanishing glaciers to the communities that rely on it. For those wanting to understand how disappearing ice shapes lives, there are helpful guides exploring these critical issues. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
France 24
04-07-2025
- Climate
- France 24
Swiss Alps hits annual glacier tipping point weeks early
All further melting between now and October will see the size of Switzerland's glaciers shrink, according to Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS). The tipping point is usually reached in August and its early arrival is another hammer blow for the Alpine nation's 1,400 glaciers, which have been shrinking at an alarming rate. "Glacier Loss Day is reached in Switzerland," GLAMOS chief Matthias Huss wrote on X, explaining that winter snowfall had been low and June had been the second warmest on record. "From now on all melt that occurs on glaciers until October is unsustainable," said Huss. He pointed out that the only time on record that that the tipping point had arrived earlier had been "the record-shattering year 2022" when it came on June 26. "Expect big ice loss due to the prolonged melt season," he said. Glaciers in the Swiss Alps began to retreat about 170 years ago. The retreat was initially modest but in recent decades, melting has accelerated significantly. © 2025 AFP
