Alps Artifacts Offer Clues to Climate Change

Study finds glaciers lost an average of 4.9 feet of ice

(NEWSER) - Glaciers shrank an alarming average of 4.9 feet in 2006, the UN Environment Program says—a dramatic difference from ice loss numbers in the ‘80s and ‘90s, when glaciers lost an average 11.8 inches a year. UNEP’s director pointed to "many canaries in the climate change coal mine," emphasizing that millions depend on glaciers for water, agriculture, and power generation, BBC News reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Hundreds of naked people bared all on a Swiss glacier to protest global warming yesterday. The arresting demonstration was photographed by New York artist Spencer Tunick, known for his photos of nude gatherings, as temperatures hovered around 50 degrees. More»

There's a massive crack in the ice

(NEWSER) - Swiss authorities have blocked off hiking trails near the Giesen glacier in the Bernese Alps and sent a crisis team to monitor it, for fear that it’s about to shed a slab of ice the size of 12 football fields. A huge crevasse has been discovered in the glacier, and while so far only small pieces of ice are falling, there’s a possibility of the whole thing fracturing and sending massive torrents of ice plummeting, the AFP reports. More»

Alpine borderlines changing along with the climate

(NEWSER) - The rapid melting of Alpine glaciers has prompted Swiss and Italian authorities to redraw the border between the two nations, the Independent reports. Authorities believe the border will need to be moved by hundreds of feet in some places as glaciers have shifted and permafrost has disappeared, changing the course of rivers that once formed natural borders. More»

Initial swelling causes 'river tsunami'; global warming blamed

(NEWSER) - Melting ice in a remote Chilean lake caused it to swell and suddenly empty, creating a “river tsunami,” the AP reports. Water from a melting glacier filled the lake and tunneled through the ice, emptying into a nearby river. More»