Global Warming Puts New Zealand Glaciers Past the Tipping Point
(CN) — Glaciers in the Southern Hemisphere, located in New Zealand, are past a tipping point in terms of ice loss due to climate change.
The Southern Alps, or Kā Tiritiri o te Moana as they’re known by the indigenous Maori, have lost more ice since the pre-industrial era than what remains today according to a study published Friday by a group of researchers at the University of Leeds in collaboration with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).
The retreat of ice from the glaciers has denuded the landmass, leaving behind a changed landscape.
Not even the snowy caps of the Southern Alps are immune to climate change.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Earth experienced its second warmest November on record last year. Record temperatures were recorded in North America, South America, Europe, the southern half of Africa, northern and southern Asia, Australia and New Zealand, according to the report.
The study authors measured volume changes for 400 mountain glaciers across the Southern Alps for three timeframes. The first is the longest snapshot from roughly 400 years ago to 1978, followed by 1978 to 2009 and 2009 to 2019, according to the study published in the journal Scientific Reports.
https://www.courthousenews.com/new-zealand-glaciers-past-the-tipping-point-of-melting/
