Bavaria
glaciers could disappear in 30 years with warming rate double the
global average
6
July, 2012
The
high-altitude landscape of the Bavarian Alps is prized by mountain
sports lovers around the world, but it could change significantly in
the coming years. Temperatures in the region are rising at an
above-average rate, which will likely melt most of the glaciers there
within the next 20 to 30 years, Bavaria's environment minister has
warned.
The
Bavarian Alps are known for their stunning vistas and winter sports
opportunities. But the view from some summits could change
drastically in the coming years. Nearly all of the glaciers in the
Bavarian Alps will likely disappear in the next 20 to 30 years due to
climate change, the southern German state warned on Monday.
Temperatures
in the area have increased by some 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees
Fahrenheit) in the last one-and-a-half centuries -- nearly double the
world average, said Bavarian Environment Minister Marcel Huber during
a presentation of the state's first-ever glacier report in Munich.
Four of the region's five glaciers could melt entirely as a result.
Since
1820, the total area of Bavaria's glaciers has dropped from 4 square
kilometers to 0.7 square kilometers (1.6 square miles to 0.3 square
miles), the report says. Five glaciers, including three "mini
glaciers," make up this area. But with temperatures expected to
go up by between 3 and 6 degrees Celsius in the next 90 years, they
aren't likely to survive, Huber said.
"This
is a dimension that one can hardly imagine," Huber said, adding
that it won't be just natural wonders that are lost, but also
important habitats.
Due
to its shady location and substantial ice volume, the Höllentalferner
glacier, located in a bowl just off the country's highest mountain,
the Zugspitze, is expected to last longer than the others. The same
goes for the Northern Schneeferner glacier, also on the Zugspitze,
which is expected to survive until after 2020. But the peak's
Southern Schneeferner glacier will soon be completely melted, the
report says.
Glaciers
in the Berchtesgaden Alps won't fare much better. "The lower
portion of the Blaueis glacier and the Watzmann glacier will
disappear in the coming years," the report says. While both
glaciers were some 15 meters (50 feet) deep in 2007, they have lost
about one meter per year since then. If the melting continues this
way, they will both be gone by about 2020.
During
the presentation, Huber announced that Bavaria would spend more than
€1 billion ($1.3 billion) on implementing climate protection and
the country's planned nuclear energy phase-out. The four-point plan
includes new policies, adaptations, research and individual measures
to address climate change, said Huber, appealing to Berlin for
federal support. […]
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