Pico de Orizaba glacier enters terminal phase due to ice loss

Researchers from the Universidad Veracruzana have determined that the north glacier of Pico de Orizaba, also known as the Jamapa Glacier, has entered a terminal phase. This represents the last remaining glacier in Mexico.

A study quantifying ice thickness loss between 2015 and 2025 reveals that the melting is non-uniform. While the average loss across the glacier is approximately three meters, some areas have lost more than seven meters of ice thickness. In total, an estimated 1.4 million cubic meters of ice have been lost over the last decade, which is equivalent to more than 1.3 million cubic meters of water. This volume is comparable to the annual water consumption of a city with 30,000 to 40,000 inhabitants.

Climatologist Víctor Soto Molina attributes this retreat to rising temperatures, decreased precipitation, and increased energy availability for ice fusion. Data from 1990 to 2025 shows a significant temperature increase of approximately 1 degree Celsius in the central zone and a reduction in annual precipitation of nearly 200 millimeters. Experts warn that this loss threatens water availability for downstream basins and local communities.