Scientists have pointed to the reaction of Alaska's glaciers to warming

An international team of researchers led by Albin Wells from Carnegie Mellon University in the United States found that an increase in the average summer temperature of just 1 degree leads to an increase in the melting period of Alaska's glaciers by about three weeks. This was reported on June 12 by Science Daily (SD) magazine.

The authors analyzed data from the Sentinel-1 radar satellites from mid-2016 to 2024. The observations covered almost every glacier in the region with an area of more than 1.3 square kilometers. Scientists have found that the use of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) allows you to track the state of ice through clouds and in the dark, which makes this method more reliable than traditional optical measurements.

Researchers have found that short-term heat waves cause significant damage to protective snow cover. During abnormally warm periods, glaciers lost up to 28% more snow than in normal years. A striking example was the heat wave in Alaska in 2019, which lasted from June 23 to July 10. During this period, the temperature in some areas exceeded the norm by 11-16 degrees.

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The extreme heat caused the snow line of the glaciers to rise almost 107 m above the usual level. It reached such levels two months ahead of schedule, as a result of which the ice remained unprotected and melted more intensively.

According to him, if the picture was taken a day after the fall of fresh snow, optical devices do not allow you to see the boundary between open ice and firn — granular snow turning into ice. SAR radar technology is devoid of these disadvantages and allows you to record the condition of the surface throughout the season.

Scientists have also identified differences in the response of glaciers: objects located on the coastal slopes of mountains show more melting in summer and more accumulation of snow in winter compared to glaciers inland. The researchers note that the established correlations with temperature make it possible to predict the extent of the retreat of snow lines in conditions of further climate warming.

On June 14, ABC TV channel reported a reduction in the area of sea ice off the coast of Antarctica. According to the publication, a section of winter sea ice with an area of about 650 thousand square kilometers has not formed in the western part of the continent. According to scientists, the figure is comparable to the territory of France. It was clarified that the Bellingshausen Sea is usually covered with ice in June, but now it remains free of it and, as noted, the current oceanic conditions may prevent the formation of a significant volume of it in winter.