Scientists warn glaciers in the Austrian Alps are not only shrinking but beginning to break apart as climate change accelerates ice loss.
A new report from the Austrian Alpine Club found that 94 of the 96 glaciers measured over the past year have retreated in length, area and volume.
«Many glaciers are not only shrinking in length but are increasingly entering a phase of structural disintegration,» said Andreas Kellerer-Pirklbauer of the University of Graz.
The largest losses were recorded at the Alpeiner Ferner in Tyrol, which shrank by 114.3 metres, and the Stubacher Sonnblickkees in Salzburg, which lost 103.9 metres.
Austria’s largest glacier, the Pasterze, is also shrinking and could split in two in the coming years if its glacier tongue collapses.
Researchers link the trend to unusually warm conditions, including a mild winter with little snow and a June nearly 5C warmer than average.
Glacier expert Gerhard Lieb said many glaciers are now losing mass so quickly they barely respond to short periods of cooler weather.
Nicole Slupetzky said climate change is already reshaping the Alpine landscape, warning the focus now must be on managing its consequences rather than restoring glaciers to their former state.
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