A glacier in one of Italy’s most popular alpine skiing regions could disappear in 15 years, according to a new study from the University of Padua. At 3,342 metres, the Marmolada glacier is the largest glacier in the Dolomites. But it is losing volume at an alarming rate. This echoes other glaciers who are also suffering from the effects of climate change.
The Marmolada mountain range is also famous for its beauty. Its location in the heart of the Dolomites makes it a popular sight.
The Iconic Marmolada Glacier Could Disappear in 15 Years
Scientists have been studying the ice in the Marmolada for the last thirty years as part of its climate change monitoring programme. Now, their latest study shows the future of the glacier is bleak.
“The glacier in the last 70 years has now lost more than 80% of its volume, going from 95 million cubic meters in 1954 to 14 million today,” Aldino Bondesan, Italian Glaciological Committee member and professor of geomorphology at Padua University, said in a statement. “Its disappearance approaches ever closer. It may have no more than 15 years of life left.”
The University of Padua’s will publish their study on Marmolada in the Journal of Glaciology later this year.
