Environmental groups have issued a warning that the glacier atop the highest peak of the Dolomites in northern Italy will completely melt away due to global warming within the next 16 years.
According to ANSA on Saturday, studies conducted by the Italian environmental group Legambiente, the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA), and the Italian Glaciological Committee have found that the thickness of the Marmolada Glacier in the Dolomites is reducing by 7 to 10 cm (2.7 to 4 inches) per day.
Over the past five years, the glacier has lost an area equivalent to 98 soccer fields, totaling 70 hectares. The three organizations have estimated that the Mount Marmolada glacier will disappear by 2040 if the current melting rate continues.
Mount Marmolada, which spans the autonomous province of Trentino-Alto Adige on the border with Austria, is the highest peak of the Dolomites at 3,343 meters (10,968 feet). Even in peak summer temperatures, its summit remains capped with perpetual snow. Scientists have measured the glacier’s size annually since the late 19th century.
Experts from the three organizations reported that since the onset of scientific measurements in 1888, the ice cap has retreated by 1,200 meters (3,940 feet) and is now considered to be in an irreversible coma.
Meanwhile, the Dolomites, part of the Alps, feature 18 peaks over 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) in height and cover a total area of 141,903 hectares (350,650 acres). The higher regions of the Dolomites are home to about 40 glaciers.
The area is renowned for well-preserved Mesozoic carbonate sediment platforms and fossil records. In 2009, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Most Commented