dpa
Copenhagen
Glaciers in northern Norway are retreating at an alarming rate due to advancing climate change.
According to new measurements by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), the largest ice deficit by far since records began several decades ago was recorded at the Langfjordjøkelen and Engabreen glaciers in 2024.
Both glaciers lost more than four metres in thickness this year. After twice as much summer ice melt as in a normal year, all glaciers in northern Norway were already expected to experience major declines in 2024. The extreme melting in the region can be attributed to a dry winter with little snow followed by a long and very warm summer, explained NVE researcher Liss Andreassen.
The reason for the glaciers’ decline is climate change, as she explained to radio station NRK: “They are very sensitive to climate change and adjust their size by becoming larger or smaller when the climate changes.”
