Global Glacier Extinction Explorer maps fate of 211,000 glaciers

Researchers from ETH Zurich and Vrije Universiteit Brussel have launched the Global Glacier Extinction Explorer, an interactive tool mapping the projected fate of over 211,000 glaciers worldwide. The platform allows users to visualize how different global warming scenarios—ranging from 1.5°C to 4°C—impact specific glaciers by displaying their projected extinction years, area, and elevation.

Projections indicate that if global warming is limited to 1.5°C, approximately 2,000 glaciers could disappear annually, leaving only half of current glaciers by the year 2100. The tool defines a glacier as extinct when its area falls below 0.01 km² or its volume is less than 1% of its original state. Recent real-world observations support these models, as the Bella Tola and Urirotstock glaciers in Switzerland were reported to have disappeared this summer, aligning with previous scientific forecasts.