Photographic evidence of Hintereisferner as seen on 23rd June 2018 (left) and 23rd June 2022 (right) reveals substantial changes. The year 2018 was already categorized as a year detrimental to the glacier’s mass balance. However, the scenario in 2022 was considerably worse, as even by June, the glacier was almost devoid of its shielding snow cover. Image Source: www.foto-webcam.eu
During the summer of 2022, Hintereisferner, one of the most expansive glaciers in Tyrol, Austria, underwent the most severe mass reduction ever documented. The glacier reached its so-called Glacier Loss Day (GLD) sooner in the year than any previous record indicates.
Nestled within the Ötztal range in Tyrol, Hintereisferner has been a subject of meticulous scientific observation for over 100 years. A consistent record of its mass balance has been maintained since 1952, making it one of the most comprehensively studied glaciers in the Alpine region. The glacier has been pivotal to climate and glaciological research conducted at the University of Innsbruck for an extended period.
Beginning in 2016, a unique global system was employed to monitor the glacier. A terrestrial laser scanner conducts daily scans, capturing changes in the glacier’s surface elevation. This method allows real-time monitoring of Hintereisferner’s volumetric alterations. Annelies Voordendag, a glaciologist from Innsbruck, spearheaded the on-site measurements. The researchers’ findings have recently been highlighted in the scientific journal The Cryosphere.
The housing container for the terrestrial laser scanner was positioned at Hintereisferner in October 2022. Photo credit: Eva Fessler
Annelies Voordendag clarified, “As early as the initial months of summer 2022, it was apparent that the date when the winter-accumulated ice begins to melt would arrive imminently. This date is termed the ‘Glacier Loss Day,’ or GLD. It is akin to Earth Overshoot Day, marking the date when humanity consumes more natural resources than Earth can regenerate within a year.”
Daily tracking of a glacier’s mass and volume provides a swift evaluation of its status for that particular year.
Assessing Glacier Health
The arrival of GLD indicates that the glacier has fallen out of equilibrium with that year’s natural conditions. An earlier occurrence of GLD implies that there is more time remaining in the summer for the glacier to experience further volume and mass reduction.
Rainer Prinz, from the “Ice and Climate” research group, which has been studying Hintereisferner for many years, added, “We observe daily volume shifts via automated terrestrial laser scanning systems that overlook the glacier. These observations allow us to determine the day when the mass accrued during the winter is entirely lost.” The GLD for 2022 was registered on 23rd June, whereas in the two preceding years, GLD was not reached until mid-August. Additionally, in years with exceptionally negative mass balances, like 2003 and 2018, the GLD was not recorded until late July.
Although future summers may not all mirror that of 2022, the trend is unmistakable for experts in glaciology, as these patterns lie beyond the scope of normal variations. Rainer Prinz articulated, “These are unmistakable indicators of human-induced climate change. The ramifications of our greenhouse gas emissions are already making a profound impact.”
The study’s projections for the glacier’s future are grim. “Within the next 10 to 20 years, only half of Hintereisferner is expected to remain,” conclude the researchers. Such observations are unequivocal signs of climate change precipitated by anthropogenic global warming and the resultant greenhouse gas emissions, which are already affecting us in significant ways.
Reference: “Brief Communication: The Glacier Loss Day as an Indicator of an Unprecedented Negative Glacier Mass Balance in 2022” by Annelies Voordendag, Rainer Prinz, Lilian Schuster, and Georg Kaser, published on 29 August 2023 in The Cryosphere. DOI: 10.5194/tc-17-3661-2023
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Glacier Loss Day
What is the Glacier Loss Day (GLD)?
The Glacier Loss Day (GLD) is a date that marks when the ice a glacier has gained during the winter starts to melt away. It serves as an indicator of a glacier’s health and can be compared to Earth Overshoot Day, which marks when humanity’s consumption of natural resources exceeds what the Earth can renew in a year.
What glacier is the article focused on?
The article focuses on the Hintereisferner glacier, one of the most expansive glaciers in Tyrol, Austria. It has been under diligent scientific observation for over a century and has been a focal point for glacier and climate studies at the University of Innsbruck.
How is the Hintereisferner glacier being monitored?
Since 2016, the glacier has been monitored using a terrestrial laser scanner, which scans the glacier’s surface daily to observe elevation changes. This system allows for real-time tracking of the glacier’s volume and mass.
What were the significant findings about Hintereisferner in the summer of 2022?
In the summer of 2022, the Hintereisferner glacier experienced its most severe loss of mass ever recorded. The Glacier Loss Day (GLD) was reached on the 23rd of June, which was earlier than any previous year.
What do these findings suggest about climate change?
The accelerated melting rates and the earlier occurrence of the Glacier Loss Day are clear indicators of anthropogenic climate change. The trends observed lie beyond normal fluctuation ranges, thus emphasizing the pressing nature of human-induced climate impacts.
What are the future projections for Hintereisferner?
According to the research team, only half of the Hintereisferner glacier is expected to remain within the next 10 to 20 years. This grim outlook further underscores the serious implications of climate change.
Who were the key researchers mentioned?
The key researchers mentioned in the article are Annelies Voordendag, who led the measurement on-site at the Hintereisferner, and Rainer Prinz from the “Ice and Climate” working group in Innsbruck.
Where were the findings published?
The findings have been published as a highlighted article in the scientific journal The Cryosphere, dated 29 August 2023. The DOI is 10.5194/tc-17-3661-2023.
More about Glacier Loss Day
- The Cryosphere Journal
- University of Innsbruck Climate Research
- Earth Overshoot Day
- Terrestrial Laser Scanning in Glaciology
- Anthropogenic Climate Change
- Global Glacier Monitoring
- Ötztal Alps
- Hintereisferner Glacier Studies
6 comments
Kind of depressing to read, but im glad the information is out there. Transparency is key, right?
so the laser scanning technology seems pretty advanced. Wonder how it compares to other methods of glacier monitoring? But yeah, the findings are worrisome.
Why aren’t more people talking about this? this needs to be front page news. The climate crisis is no joke, people!
Just think about how this affects our planet’s water supply. It’s not just about the glaciers, but a much bigger problem we are dealing with here.
Wow, this is alarming! didn’t know things were so bad. We gotta act fast or we’re looking at no glaciers soon. It’s literally melting away in front of our eyes.
The scientists are doin their job, now its time for policymakers to step up. Human-induced climate change is real, folks. No denying anymore.