The station manager of Tarfala Research Station in Sweden was interviewed in Swedish national television carrying out the annual survey of Kebnekajse’s southern peak on September 11. The measurement showed that the peak of the glacierA glacier is a large, persistent body of land-based ice that forms over many years where the accumulation of snow is greater than its loss (ablation). The ice in a... More had melted 1,4 meters since last year.
Tarfala research station participates in an international program for long-term measurements of mass balanceThe difference between the amount of ice a glacier gains in winter and the amount lost in summer. A glacier which is gaining mass has a positive mass balance: more ice is... More for reference glaciers. These glaciers have continuous measurement series that stretch back more than 30 years. There are approximately 50 reference glaciers in the world, four of which are in Sweden. The melting of the glaciers this year has been twice as great as the average of the last decade. This could be the beginning of a glacierA glacier is a large, persistent body of land-based ice that forms over many years where the accumulation of snow is greater than its loss (ablation). The ice in a... More “starving to death”. The glaciers now need a year with positive mass balanceThe difference between the amount of ice a glacier gains in winter and the amount lost in summer. A glacier which is gaining mass has a positive mass balance: more ice is... More to compensate for the loss. If such a year does not occur, the loss is irreversible, says Nina Kirchner.
