1. 15 million people worldwide are threatened by glacial lake flooding, with Asia's alpine regions being the most affected
A study published Feb. 7 in Nature Communications found that 15 million people worldwide are at risk of glacial lake outburst flooding. More than half of the world's at-risk population is concentrated in four countries: India, Pakistan, Peru and China, with the highest mountains in Asia being the most affected, the researchers said.
In Los Glaciares National Park in Argentine Patagonia, the Perito Moreno glacier in Lake Argentine sheds.
2. Antarctic sea ice extent is at a record low
Antarctic sea ice fell to 1.91 million square kilometers on February 13, 2023, breaking the record low of 1.92 million square kilometers set on February 25, 2022, according to data calculated by the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center. With the melting season likely to be a few weeks away, Antarctic sea ice extent is not expected to reach its annual low.
On January 23, 2023, local time, a huge iceberg close to the greater London area of the United Kingdom fell off the Brent Ice Shelf.
3. One study found that the duration of snow cover in the Alps was well below average
A paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change looked at the annual ring widths of juniper bushes and found that the current duration of snow cover is 36 days shorter than the long-term average, an unprecedented decline in the past six centuries. Over the past 50 years, snow cover in the Alps has decreased by 5.6% per decade.
On January 5, 2023, local time, near the French Alps, a woman practiced skiing. Due to the recent mild weather in places such as the Alps and the Pyrenees, ski resorts lack snow, and half of France's slopes are closed.
4. The Thwaites glacier is melting faster and will cause global sea levels to rise sharply if it collapses
A study published Feb. 15 in Nature shows that warming is exacerbating the melting of Thwaites Glacier, one of West Antarctica's largest glaciers, with the ice surface surfaced for the first time. One of the nine key "climate tipping points," the Thwaites Glacier has become increasingly unstable.
On February 11, 2020, local time, ESA satellites observed that the Thwaites Glacier was disintegrating and discharging a large amount of ice into the ocean.
5. Global warming significantly increases the risk of grassland and bushfires in Australia
On February 23, the Australian Climate Council and Climate Action Emergency Leaders released a report saying that Australia could face large-scale grassland fires and bushfires exacerbated by the climate crisis in the spring and summer of 2023-2024. Successive La Niña phenomena lead to vegetation growth, significantly increasing the risk of grassland fires.
On February 2, 2022, local time, in Perth, Western Australia, a forest fire occurred locally, and firefighters carried out fire extinguishing work.
6. The La Niña phenomenon has caused severe erosion of Australia's famous beaches and reduced biodiversity
A study in Nature Geoscience, analysing satellite imagery, found that beaches off Australia's southeast coast were severely eroded during prolonged La Niña events. After three consecutive years of La Niña, erosion on Queensland's sunshine coast has severely affected local biodiversity.
On July 13, 2022, local time, Sydney, Australia, the road leading to the beach was severely eroded. After weeks of severe erosion caused by storms and bad weather, parts of Cronulla Beach have been closed.
7. Climate change has increased mosquito range, leading to malaria transmission
A study published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters shows that climate change has expanded the range of mosquitoes and thus the spread of malaria. Over the past century, the range of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes has expanded in line with climate change trends.
Anopheles mosquitoes in water, India, December 14, 2022, local time. Anopheles mosquitoes breed in water and transmit malaria.
8. With less than half the average snow water equivalent in the Alps, Italy faces severe drought
Data from the CIMA Research Foundation show that snow water equivalent (the amount of water stored in the form of snow) in the Italian Alps is seriously insufficient for the second year in a row. Its current snow water equivalent has been reduced by 53% compared to the average of the past decade, which has led to insufficient water supply in the Po River Basin and severe drought in Italy.
November 23, 2022, local time, Rovigo, Italy, aerial view of the Po Delta. Due to the lack of rain, the flow of Italy's longest river has dropped to one-tenth of usual, and drought has severely affected agricultural production throughout the Po River Basin.
9. A stronger El Niño could accelerate the irreversible melting of Antarctic ice
A study published in Nature Climate Change says stronger El Niño could accelerate warming of deeper waters while slowing surface warming as westerly winds along the continental shelf weaken. The study's lead author said a strong El Niño would lead to accelerated melting of ice sheets and ice shelves.
On February 16, 2022, local time, the melting of Antarctic glaciers accelerated, and ice floes in the strait floated.
10. More than 20% of wetlands have been lost globally since 1700
According to a study published in Nature, half of the wetlands in China, Europe and the United States have been destroyed in the past 300 years, with wetlands lost more than 75 percent in some areas, including the United Kingdom, Ireland and Germany. Since 1700, wetlands the size of an entire Indian have disappeared worldwide.
August 10, 2022 local time, the Weekcan Basin in northern Cambridgeshire, England, which is known for being wet but has now become very dry after suffering drought.
11. Frequent atmospheric rivers hinder the seasonal recovery of Arctic sea ice
A study published in Nature Climate Change shows that the frequency of atmospheric rivers in the Barents Sea-Kara Sea and the central Arctic increased significantly in the early winter of 1979-2021. Frequent atmospheric rivers enhance longwave radiation and increase rainfall, making thin, fragile ice sheets more susceptible to melting, impeding Arctic sea ice recovery from its state of melting season.
July 18, 2022 local time, Pitufik, Greenland, sea ice in Baffin Bay in the Arctic Ocean.
12. Low emissions help mitigate carbon loss in the tropics
According to a study by Nature Climate Change, the shrinkage of humid areas and the expansion of arid areas caused by climate change will lead to significant carbon loss in the tropics. A low-emission and carbon-neutral strategy can prevent half of the carbon loss and help maintain a natural tropical net carbon sink.
On November 9, 2022, local time, in a village near Lake Magadi, Kenya, local villagers said that they lost many head of cattle due to drought. The trend of historic droughts in the Horn of Africa is now worse than the drought in 2011.