Melting Glaciers

Since 1850, glaciers around the world have been slowly melting, affecting the viability of freshwater in a variety of ways, so the phenomenon of melting glaciers is not a new one. In fact, between 1950 and 1980 a slight global cooling occurred, slowing down glacial retreat and even reversing it in some cases. However, since 1980 a significant global warming has led to a dramatic increase in the speed of glacial retreat. Many glaciers have completely vanished, and the existence of a great number of the remaining glaciers in the world is severely threatened. The disappearance of glaciers in the Andes of South America and the Himalayas in Asia will eventually have disastrous effects on the water supplies. The retreat of mountain glaciers in North America, Indonesia, Africa, and the Alps is proof of the rise in global temperatures since the late 19th century. An acceleration in the rate of retreat since 1995 may foreshadow a rise in sea level, which could have a potentially dramatic effect on coastal regions worldwide. There are varying opinions about whether melting glaciers are the result of global warming by man-made greenhouse gases or just a natural cycle of the Earth, but the fact remains—glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, and the world is undoubtedly changing as a result.