Glaciers in the Alps have shrunk 39% in two decades, data shows

British startup Earthwave and a group of European scientists have used satellite data to map out glacial melt across the globe — and the results are alarming.

The team discovered that the European Alps’ glaciers have shrunk the most of all — 39% in just over two decades, compared to a global average of 5%.

Earthwave co-founder Livia Jakob said the project was invaluable to our understanding of glacier ice loss. 

“We developed an algorithm to combine all the different datasets into one common estimate of glacier mass balance, giving us a new and improved picture of glacier behaviour in the past two decades,” Jakob told TNW via email.

Across the world, glaciers have lost an average of 273 billion tonnes of ice per year since 2000, according to the research, which was published in Nature today. That’s equivalent to the entire global population’s drinking water consumption for 30 years.

And the situation is snowballing. The rate of ice loss increased from 231 billion tonnes per year (2000–2011) to 314 billion tonnes per year (2012–2023) and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. 

The Alps worst hit

Temperatures in Europe’s highest mountain range are rising twice as fast as the global average. Swiss glaciers lost 6% of their total volume in 2022 alone, following intense summer heatwaves. 

Dust from the Sahara could also be to blame for the rapid decline of central Europe’s glaciers. Particles in the air come from the Sahara desert and settle on glacier surfaces, darkening the ice. This causes them to absorb more solar radiation and melt faster.

But ultimately, human-induced climate change is the greatest culprit. If greenhouse gas emissions keep increasing, scientists predict the Alps could lose over 90% of their glacier mass by 2100.

Glacial retreat spells trouble for millions who rely on glacial melt for drinking water, agriculture, and hydropower — while coastal communities brace for the rising tides. Over the study period, glaciers contributed 18mm to global sea-level rise.

The research was conducted as part of the Glacier Mass Balance Intercomparison Exercise, or Glambie for short. The project is a major research initiative coordinated by the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) hosted at the University of Zurich, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and Earthwave. 

Jakob co-founded Earthwave in 2018. The startup uses satellite remote sensing to monitor the effects of climate change or help other scientists unlock valuable insights from satellite data. 

Eyes over glaciers

While many have experienced glacial decline first-hand, tracking it planet-wide is a bit more challenging. That’s where satellites can help.  

Numerous satellites monitor Earth’s ice thickness from orbit. They use optical, radar, laser, and gravimetry instruments to provide data on glacier loss, sea ice changes, and rising sea levels.  

The Glambie study used this information to compile one of the most comprehensive overviews of glacier retreat ever conducted.  

The study included data from satellites including the USA’s Terra/ASTER and ICESat-2, the US–German GRACE, the German TanDEM-X, and the European Space Agency’s CryoSat.  

As global temperatures continue to rise, studies like these deepen our understanding of how glacial melt impacts freshwater supplies, ecosystems, and sea-level rise — and what must be done to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.

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