Study: Climate change is making glaciers less predictable
Glaciers are acting less predictably thanks to climate change, according to a new study.
Researchers looked at over 3,100 surging glaciers—those that suddenly speed up—mostly in the Arctic and High Mountain Asia.
Even though they're just 1% of all glaciers, they cover nearly a fifth of glacier area worldwide.
Surging glaciers move fast when meltwater builds up underneath them
Surging glaciers move fast when meltwater builds up underneath them.
Now, with more extreme weather and warmer temperatures, these surges are happening at odd times or not at all.
In some places, surges are getting more frequent; in others, thinning ice means fewer surges.
Risks of unpredictable surges
The study points out real dangers—like Pakistan's Shisper Glacier, which surged and blocked a river for years.
The lake formed by the surge drained repeatedly; a major outburst flood that caused millions in damage.
As climate shifts continue, these kinds of risks could pop up in new places too.