User:Dylan5723/Retreat of glaciers since 1850

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Climate change, particularly the melting of glaciers, is linked to various health risks, including the potential release of ancient viruses and bacteria. This melting exposes dormant pathogens that could infect both existing and new species in affected areas, potentially leading to disease outbreaks. Evidence shows the presence of ancient viruses in glacier ice, some of which have been revived, though the overall risk they pose remains unclear. The study by (Varghese et al 2022) indicate similarities between viruses found in glaciers and those in different environments, suggesting potential paths of infection. However, while there's a high risk of spillover, predicting actual pandemics remains uncertain. Understanding these microbial ecosystems is crucial to assess the gravity of these risks and prepare for potential disease outbreaks. Overall, addressing climate change and its impact on glacier melting is vital to mitigate these health risks and prevent future pandemics.

Using models fed by temperature and precipitation data from 14 global climate models, the study by (Bliss et al 2014) predicts monthly glacier runoff for different glacierized regions. Despite all regions facing net mass loss from glaciers, annual runoff trends vary due to a balance between increased melt and glacier storage reduction. While most areas depict declining runoff, some, like the Canadian and Russian Arctic, initially show an increase before decline. The research underscores considering glacier net mass loss for understanding future hydrological changes, emphasizing that while melting initially contributes more water, continued retreat will eventually reduce overall runoff. It highlights the diverse responses of glacier runoff to climate change across regions. The study applies a robust model calibrated to capture seasonal glacier mass balance, offering insights into how climate change will influence glacier runoff across regions until the century's end.

The study focused on the Drass region in the western Himalayas, analyzing glacier changes from 2000 to 2020 using satellite data. Debris-covered glaciers lost about 2% less than clean glaciers, highlighting their differing sensitivities. This research also highlighted the decrease in glacier thickness and mass, leading to reduced glacier velocities, and connected rising temperatures—due to greenhouse gases and black carbon—with accelerated glacier melting. Glacier changes in the Himalayas impact water resources and contribute to sea-level rise, posing hazards like landslides. Variations in glacier retreat across the region depend on climate change, glacier morphology, and topography. The study emphasized the need to monitor glacier parameters beyond surface changes to understand their response accurately. However, inadequate data on pollutants complicates the understanding of glacier melting. This comprehensive study by (Romshoo et al 2022) revealed a 3% reduction in glacier area from 2000 to 2020, with smaller glaciers showing higher vulnerability. It linked elevation, slope, and debris cover to variations in glacial recession. Glaciers at lower elevations and with debris cover experienced faster retreat. Furthermore, the research noted decreased ice velocity, mass loss, and the influence of vehicular pollution on glacier recession. Rising greenhouse gases and temperatures correlated with observed glacier retreat, highlighting their impact on the cryosphere. Black carbon, particularly from traffic emissions, significantly impacted glacier health. The study underscored the connection between rising GHG concentrations, black carbon, and glacier changes in the Himalayas. Climate change-induced glacier melting, compounded by human-driven pollutants, could drastically affect water resources and ecosystems. Strengthening observation networks in data-scarce regions like the Himalayas is crucial for understanding local drivers alongside global climate change's impact on glaciers. There's concern that continued trends could lead to the disappearance of Himalayan glaciers, affecting regional water supplies and ecosystems.

The study by Nistor emphasizes the link between climate change and glaciers, highlighting their sensitivity and negative impacts of warming. The geographical context of the Passage Canal, the glaciers' characteristics, and remote sensing methods used for analysis are detailed. The study conducted by (Nistor 2017) correlates temperature trends with glacier retreat and introduces a matrix method to assess climate impact on glaciers. Temperature fluctuations and decreasing precipitation, coupled with variable snowfall, correlated with glacier retreat from 1972 to 2014. Billings, Learnard, and Whittier Glaciers exhibited significant retreat. The total lost ice mass volume corresponded to a minimal sea level rise annually. The study uses an AI algorithm to categorize the climate impact on glaciers based on temperature and ice loss values. Despite limitations in sea level rise estimations, the study underscores climate and local conditions' influence on glacier retreat and melting volume. It contributes to understanding glacier behavior in the Passage Canal and introduces a novel matrix method for climate impact evaluation. The findings indicate varied climate change impacts on Passage Canal's glaciers: medium for Billings and Learnard but high for Whittier. The study highlights hydrological, coastal ecosystem, and sea level rise implications due to melting ice driven by climate conditions.