Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Mt Everest glaciers under threat from greenhouse gases – 70% could be lost by 2100


In a report it has been indicated that more than 70% of the Mt Everest glacier volume could vanish if greenhouse gases continue to increase unchecked – the loss within the next 85 years could increase the risk of floods in the Kosi River downstream from Nepal to India.
This has been reported in zeenews.com dated 27 May 2015.
The study has been carried out by a team of researchers from Nepal, France and the Netherlands and they have concluded that the Everest glaciers could be very sensitive to future warming and that sustained ice loss through the 21st century is likely. In case the greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, the glaciers would not be able to sustain its hold and could give rise to dramatic changes in future decades.
The report has cautioned that increased temperatures will result in not only increase in the rates of snow and ice melt but can also result in a change of precipitation from snow to rain at critical elevations, where glaciers are concentrated.
The combined effect would be to reduce glacier growth and increase the area exposed to melt.
The glaciers in the Dudh Kosi basin in the Nepal Himalayas are home to some of the world's highest mountain peaks, including Mt Everest, and to over 400 sq km of glacier area. Melting of these glaciers would increase in the meltwater from the Dudh Kosi basin to the Kosi River. This will, in turn, affect the river flows downstream.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


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