Svalbard’s Glaciers Are Melting Faster Than Ever Due To Climate Change

Glaciers of Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago near Greenland, are melting down faster than ever. Scientists reveal that they are shrinking at a pace far quicker than the global average.

New research shows that 91% of these glaciers have been reduced since 1985, with more than 800 km² of ice lost, an area bigger than New York City.

Since 1979, the region has warmed up to seven times faster than the rest of the world. This rapid warming makes the area extremely vulnerable to climate change.

Svalbard’s glaciers are particularly important because they influence the surrounding ocean ecosystem. As glaciers flow into the sea, they release nutrient-rich water that supports marine life.

But as the glaciers shrink, the delicate balance is disrupted, and it threatens wildlife that depends on stable, cold-water environments.

The most significant retreat occurred in 2016, after a year of extreme weather, with record rainfall and unusually warm seas. During this time, glacier calving-when large chunks of ice break off and fall into the ocean became much more frequent.

Scientists used artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse millions of satellite images taken over the past four decades to understand the changes. This AI model enabled researchers to track glacier movement efficiently without any human errors.

The results showed that glaciers in Svalbard are not only retreating annually but also shrinking seasonally-retreating during warmer months and advancing again when temperatures drop.

The study also found that rising ocean temperatures are a major factor in glacier retreat. As the oceans warm, glaciers start to melt faster in the spring, which fastens the overall loss of ice. This seasonal change in glacier size had previously only been observed in a few glaciers in Svalbard but has now been tracked across the region.

If temperatures continue to rise, glaciers will retreat even faster, contributing to rising sea levels and putting millions of people living in coastal areas at risk.

Reference: Earth

Source: Maritime Shipping News