# Global glacier extinction mapping initiative > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/global-glacier-extinction-mapping-initiative > Updated: 2026-09-15T04:08:00.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2. Researchers from ETH Zurich and Vrije Universiteit Brussel have launched the ‘Global Glacier Extinction Explorer’, an interactive web platform designed to map the projected fate of over 211,000 glaciers worldwide. Based on research published in Nature Climate Change, the tool allows users to visualize how different global warming scenarios, ranging from 1.5°C to 4°C, impact specific glaciers by displaying projected extinction years, area, and elevation. The platform provides localized data to help communities understand regional impacts. In the European Alps, models suggest more than 50 percent of glaciers could vanish within approximately two decades. The study defines a glacier as extinct when its area falls below 0.01 km² (or 10,000 square meters) or its volume is less than 1 percent of its original state. Lead author Lander Van Tricht noted that glacier extinction is an ongoing process, stating, ‘Behind every disappearing glacier, there is a place, a story, and often a community that will experience its absence.’ Recent observations in Switzerland, such as the disappearance of the Bella Tola and Urirotstock glaciers, align with these scientific forecasts. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-15: Global Glacier Extinction Explorer launched to map melting ice Researchers have launched an interactive map to project the disappearance of 200,000 glaciers worldwide based on different global warming scenarios. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/global-glacier-extinction-explorer-launched-to-map-melting-ice ### 2026-09-11: Global Glacier Extinction Explorer maps fate of 211,000 glaciers Scientists have released the Global Glacier Extinction Explorer, a map projecting the disappearance of 211,000 glaciers based on various global warming scenarios. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/global-glacier-extinction-explorer-maps-fate-of-211000-glaciers --- Cite as: Global glacier extinction mapping initiative. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/global-glacier-extinction-mapping-initiative