Mount Everest is rapidly losing ice

Global warming makes itself felt in every part of our planet. A new study has revealed that the South Col Glacier, a region close to the summit of Mount Everest, experiences decades of melting each year. Scientists said that by the middle of this century, the glacier could disappear completely.

Avalanches may increase, famine may occur

The study, led by University of Maine researchers, found that the glacier in the South Col, located at an altitude of about 7900 meters above sea level and one kilometer below the summit of the world’s highest mountain, is melting rapidly.

As a result of the examinations, it was determined that the glacier lost approximately 55 meters of thickness in the last 25 years. Researchers say the rate of melting is 80 times higher than the rate at which the glacier formed. It is also stated that this melting rate has increased especially since the late 1990s.

Drawing attention to global warming, the researchers stated that the sublimation of the snow cover on the glacier by rapidly transforming from solid to steam with increasing temperatures played an important role in the melting of the existing glacier. As the glacier is exposed to more sun, its melting is accelerating.

In addition to the increasing temperatures, decreasing relative humidity and stronger winds are highlighted as the reasons for the rapid disappearance of so much snow.

The rapid melting of the glaciers in the region, where more than one billion people meet their drinking water needs, will bring many problems in the future. In addition, farmers who irrigate their agricultural lands with rivers fed by glaciers will also be adversely affected by this situation. Researchers stated that with all this, more frequent avalanches may occur in the region.