Nearly 70 Percent of Glaciers Could Melt Away By 2100: Study

Oslo, 15 Jan (ONA) --- A new study has found that nearly 70 percent of the world’s glaciers could disappear by the end of 2100.

A group of international scientists recently reported the study in the Science journal. Their predictions were based on current climate change developments. However, the researchers noted many glaciers can be saved if planet warming is reduced.

The findings provide the most detailed examination yet of the world’s 215,000 glaciers.

The study considered four possible world temperature rises. One is a 1.5 degrees Celsius increase in the average world temperature. It also put into consideration possible temperature rises of 2, 3 and 4 degrees Celsius.

The study found that even if world temperature rise is limited to 1.5 Celsius above pre-industrial levels, an estimated 49 percent of the world's glaciers would disappear by the year 2100. That amount of loss would represent about 26 percent of the world's total glacier mass.

Current estimates suggest that if climate change keeps heading in the same direction, the world is set to have a 2.7 Celsius rise in temperature. That increase would cause nearly all glaciers in Central Europe, Western Canada, the continental United States and New Zealand to melt by 2100, the study found.

---Ends/Thuraiya/AG