62 billion tons of ice lost in just 6 weeks, seed vault in danger!

Scientists have revealed the consequences of the record melting in Norway's Svalbard Archipelago in the summer of 2024. The region became one of the biggest contributors to sea level rise that year.

A new study that has shaken the scientific world has revealed the catastrophic consequences of a six-week extreme heatwave in the Arctic during the summer of 2024.

According to the study published in the journal PNAS, 62 billion tons (gigatons) of ice melted in the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago in this short period. This means that 1% of the region's total glacier mass disappeared in just six weeks.

The study found that the heatwave increased average temperatures in the region by 7 to 11 degrees Celsius. This is an unprecedented rate of melting for Svalbard, which has lost less than 10 billion tonnes of ice annually on average for the past 30 years. This melting alone would raise global sea levels by 0.16 millimetres, making Svalbard one of the largest sources of global sea level rise through 2024.

The effects of this melting are not limited to sea levels and pose a direct threat to humanity:

Threat to biodiversity: Svalbard is also home to the Global Seed Vault, a resource intended to secure humanity's food future. Melting glaciers pose a direct threat to this vital repository.

Spread of diseases: Global warming is causing mosquitoes that carry tropical diseases such as malaria to spread to northern latitudes where they could not previously survive.

Rising mortality rates: Heat waves are increasing in frequency and intensity worldwide. Experts warn that by the end of the century, these waves could kill millions.

Glaciers are retreating in Patagonia too

This alarming picture isn't unique to the Arctic. Another recent study found that even the Perito Moreno Glacier in Southern Patagonia, thought to be stable for decades, is experiencing its fastest melting rate in 100 years. This demonstrates that the problem is a global crisis.

Scientists' most pessimistic warning is for the future. They predict that even if snowfall increases due to global warming, the rate of melting will far outpace snow accumulation, and glaciers will continue to shrink beyond recovery.