Study finds glaciers melting at record pace with 7 trillion tons lost since 2000

A new study reveals that mountain glaciers are melting at an accelerated rate due to climate change. From 2000 to 2011, glaciers lost about 255 billion tons of ice annually, but this increased to 346 billion tons from 2011 to 2021, and reached a record 604 billion tons in 2023. Since 2000, glaciers worldwide have lost over 7 trillion tons of ice. Alaska has the highest annual ice loss, while Central Europe has seen the largest percentage decrease, with glaciers now 39% smaller than in 2000. The study indicates that the rate of glacier loss is unsustainable, with significant implications for sea level rise. Experts note that the current situation is unprecedented compared to past fluctuations in glacier size.