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Glacierwatch

@glacierwatch.bsky.social
210 followers 171 following 775 posts

We present accessible information about Europe's glaciers and how the climate crisis impacts them.

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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
And after the long winter, Antarctic research programmes begin gearing up again. Ships, aircraft and new teams of scientists return as conditions become more accessible. This year, researchers are continuing long-term monitoring of sea ice, ice cores, krill, ecosystems and the Southern Ocean.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Spring also changes the rhythm of life (including human activity) around Antarctica. Sea ice provides habitat and feeding grounds for organisms from microscopic algae to krill and penguins. As conditions change, the effects can ripple through the food web.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
research published this year found that extreme regional sea-ice retreat events can last just 2 days, while accounting for around 5% of a sector's seasonal ice loss. Antarctic sea ice is dynamic. And increasingly, it's also telling us something about a changing climate.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
It's not simply a slow melt. Winds, ocean temperatures, storms and atmospheric circulation all influence where and how quickly the ice retreats. And some of the changes can happen astonishingly fast:
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
That means the continent is about to undergo one of the most dramatic seasonal transformations on Earth. Over the next few months, millions of square kilometres of sea ice will disappear from the Southern Ocean.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
But spring isn't just about warmer temperatures. The annual cycle of Antarctic sea ice is turning: after growing throughout the dark winter, sea ice reaches its seasonal maximum around September and begins its retreat towards the February minimum.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
It’s Spring in Antarctica After months of darkness, the South Pole is entering a new, sunny season. Around the September equinox, daylight returns rapidly across Antarctica.
A penguin jumping into the ice cold antarctic ocean. Photo by Birger Strahl / UnsplashThe Southern Ocean in spring. Photo by Hector John Periquin / UnsplashOrca whales peeking through a narrow strip of water between floats of sea ice. Photo by Bryan Goff / UnsplashA scientific station in Antarctica. Photo by NOAA / Unsplash
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The bigger cost is adapting to a landscape that is changing underneath us. We can't put a price on everything we lose. But we can choose whether we keep making the bill bigger. Stay cool, Save a glacier. Join Glacierwatch.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The human bill Glacier loss can mean changing water supplies, damaged infrastructure, unstable slopes, new flood risks and economic disruption for communities that depend on mountain environments. Tourism is only one piece of the puzzle.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
This affects plants, animals and the habitats built around them. And then there's the landscape itself: A glacier that disappears cannot simply be switched back on.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
When we lose the glacier, we don't just lose ice. We lose part of a natural water-regulation system. The ecosystem bill Glaciers shape entire landscapes. Their meltwater feeds rivers, wetlands and downstream ecosystems. As glaciers retreat, temperatures, water flows and sediment loads change.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The Cost of Losing a Glacier How our melting cryosphere trickles down, economically. The water bill Glaciers are natural water reservoirs. They store precipitation as ice and release meltwater into rivers, especially during warm, dry periods when water is needed most.
A string of glued-together dollar notes cascading down onto a surface. Photo by Igor Omilaev / UnsplashWhite snow on a blue body of water. Photo by NOAA / UnsplashA brown squirrel standing on a rock in a blossoming alpine landscape. Photo by Jehyun Sung / UnsplashA woman standing on a bridge looking onto a river bed in Switzerland. Photo by Bryan Dijkhuizen / Unsplash
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
So today's drought isn't being caused by melting glaciers. But as droughts become more frequent and severe, we're losing one of the natural systems that helps keep Europe's rivers flowing. Glaciers aren't just ice. They're water storage. And we're melting the storage.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
After it, glacier meltwater flowing into rivers starts to decline. The Alps have already passed peak water in some regions.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Here's the catch: a glacier can temporarily provide more meltwater as it warms and melts faster. But there is a limit. Once a glacier has lost enough ice, there simply isn't as much left to melt. This turning point is called peak water.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
That makes mountain snow and ice an important part of Europe's natural water-storage system. The Alps feed major river basins including the Rhine, Rhône, Po and Danube.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Glaciers are frozen reservoirs. Snow and ice accumulate in winter and melt during warmer months, feeding streams and rivers when rainfall is often low and demand for water is high.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
But drought isn't just about how much rain falls. It is also about how much water our landscapes can store and release when we need it.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Europe is drying up What do glaciers have to do with that? Europe is in the grip of a severe drought. Rivers including the Rhine, Po, Loire and Danube are at exceptionally low levels, while farmers are facing crop losses and wildfires are spreading across dry landscapes.
A barge stranded on an imaginary, dry, barren riverbed, illustrating the extreme drought and low river levels. Photo Composition with photos from Oleksandr Sushko, Marija Zaric, Grigorii Sukhorukov / Unsplash A burning forest and a dried out Rhine. Photo by Landon Parenteau / Unsplash and Rolf Kranz / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA 4.0
A Norwegian Mountain glacier and a closeup of a glacier-fed river. Photo by Theo Eilertsen Photography and Aleksei Zaitcev / UnsplashAn ice formation on a glacier in the Chamonix region, France. Photo by Marsumilae / Unsplash
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
As sea ice retreats, shipping opportunities may increase along with geopolitical tensions, environmental risks and pressure on Arctic ecosystems and communities. #Glacierwatch #Arctic #SeaIce #NorthwestPassage #ClimateChange #Cryosphere #ArcticShipping #IndigenousPeoples #ClimateGeopolitics
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
The melting Arctic isn't opening an empty frontier. It's transforming a place where people, wildlife, nations and ice have been interconnected for centuries. The Northwest Passage has fascinated explorers for centuries. Now, climate change is making access to the Arctic increasingly relevant again.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Narwhals, Belugas, Seals, Walruses and Polar bears call this large geopolitical region their home. Increasing ship traffic means more disturbance, underwater noise and potential pollution in an ecosystem already under enormous pressure from warming.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
The passage runs through the Arctic homeland of Inuit communities. These waters have been travelled, hunted and lived with for generations. A changing ice regime can affect travel, food security and traditional ways of life.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Canada considers the waters of the Northwest Passage to be internal Canadian waters. The United States and some other countries have challenged that interpretation, arguing that the passage is an international strait. Suddenly, melting ice isn't just a climate story. It's a geopolitical one.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Who gets to sail through a melting arctic? The Northwest Passage is becoming easier to navigate. But who will actually be able to use it? For centuries, sea ice made the Northwest Passage extraordinarily difficult to navigate. Today, summer sea ice is declining and the navigable season is changing.
A cargo ship traveling the Northwest Passage. Photo by Esteban Chinchilla / UnsplashFloating sea ice in an arctic harbor. Above it a painting of conflict between English Explorers and the native Inuit. Photo by Peter Burdon / Unsplash and British MuseumInuksuk stacked on a hill overlooking a Bay in Nunavut. Below it a photo of an Inupiat woman. Photo by Isaac Demeester / Unsplash and Nowadluk Ootenna / Lomen Bros.A Cargo ship navigating icy waters. Above it, a photo of a polar bear with one paw up. Photo by NOAA  and Hans-Jurgen Mager / Unsplash
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Myth 3: ❌ Glaciers don't move. ✅ Reality: Every glacier flows under its own weight. Some creep just a few centimetres a day, while others can surge tens of metres per day. Follow Glacierwatch for more insights on glaciers, the poles and the cryosphere! #Glacierwatch #Myth #Busted #Glacier
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Myth 2: ❌ All glacier ice is white. ✅ Reality: Dense glacier ice absorbs red light, making thick, pure ice appear a brilliant blue. It can also look grey, black (covered in debris), or even pink thanks to snow algae.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Myth 1: ❌ Glaciers only exist at the poles. ✅ Reality: Glaciers are found on every continent except Australia, from the Alps and Andes to East Africa and New Zealand.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Glacier Myths - busted! Think you know glaciers? Think again!
Skaftafell Glacier in Iceland. Photo by Marta Ceffa / UnsplashA stark, eerie polar landscape. Photo by Tilak Baloni / UnsplashAerial view of snow patterns in Antarctica. Photo by Matt Palmer / UnsplashA birds eye view of an Alaskan ice field. Photo by NOAA / Unsplash
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
At the same time, the dark surface can accelerate local melting by reducing the glacier's ability to reflect sunlight. The next time you see a glacier, remember: beneath your feet, there may be an entire microscopic world at work. #Glacierwatch #Cryoconite #Ecosystem #Glacier #ClimateCrisis
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Cryoconite also reminds us that glaciers aren't just frozen blocks of ice. They're living landscapes, supporting unique forms of life while playing an important role in Earth's climate system.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Because cryoconite is darker than the surrounding glacier, it absorbs more sunlight and slowly melts into the ice, forming small pools known as cryoconite holes. These become miniature ecosystems—some of the most extreme habitats on Earth.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
These tiny granules are living communities made up of dust, algae, bacteria, fungi, and other microscopic organisms that have found a way to survive on bare ice.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Tiny Worlds on Ice Cryoconite - Dark Spots That Bring Glaciers to Life Have you ever noticed tiny dark specks scattered across a glacier? They're called cryoconite ("cold dust"), but they're much more than just dirt.
A cryoconite hole on top of Taylor Glacier. Photo by Peter Rejcek, NSFA crevasse created by water drilling a hole tens of meters deep into the glacier ice. Photo by Ville Miettinen / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA 2.0Measuring the size of a cryoconites on Longyearbreen glacier. Photo by Kertu Liis Krigul / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA 4.0Aldegonda glacier, Svalbard archipelago, a group of soil scientists on their way to the the next study site. Photo by IvanAlekseev95* / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA 4.0
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Understanding wet-bulb temperature helps us understand why climate change is becoming a public health emergency, not just an environmental one. #Glacierwatch #WetBulb #WetBulbTemperature #HeatWave #Canicule #Heat #ClimateCrisis
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
More importantly, both melting glaciers and rising wet-bulb temperatures are symptoms of the same underlying problem: A rapidly warming planet.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Glaciers help regulate regional climate by reflecting sunlight and cooling mountain environments. As glaciers disappear, many mountain regions become warmer and darker, reinforcing local warming.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
As our planet warms, heatwaves become more frequent, the atmosphere holds more water vapour, making dangerous combinations of heat and humidity increasingly common. Events once considered extremely rare are becoming more likely.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
More recent research suggests that many people begin reaching dangerous physiological limits at considerably lower wet-bulb temperatures. This is especially true for older adults, children and people with health conditions.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Scientists often discuss a wet-bulb temperature of around 35°C as the upper limit for long-term human survival, even for healthy people resting in the shade with unlimited drinking water.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Day Two has 35°C, very humid - Sweat stays on your skin instead of evaporating. You may actually be under greater heat stress despite the lower temperature. That's why humidity can make heat far more dangerous.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
But if the air is already full of moisture, sweat can't evaporate efficiently. Your body's natural cooling system begins to fail. Imagine two days: Day One has 40°C, dry air - Your sweat evaporates quickly, helping you cool down.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Wet Bulb Temperature: When Sweat Stops Working The most dangerous temperature isn't always the hottest one What is a wet-bulb temperature? It's a measure that combines heat and humidity. Normally your body cools itself by evaporating sweat.
A closeup of a person’s face as they are profusely sweating. Photo by Nathan Dumlao / UnsplashA glass terrarium on a side table, its walls percolating from humidity. Photo by Cindy Bartillon / Unsplash A group of people of all ages sit underneath the canopy of a cafe with water mist being sprayed to cool them down. Photo by János Venczák / UnsplashA glacier with pristine white snow. Photo by Ming Chen / Unsplash
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Every stream, crack, and patch of exposed ice helps scientists understand how glaciers are responding to a changing climate. Follow Glacierwatch to learn more about the frozen places that help shape our world. #Glacierwatch #HotGlacierSummer #ClimateCrisis #HeatWave
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
For many glaciers around the world, the melt season is getting longer and more intense. The signs of summer on a glacier are natural. But today, rising global temperatures are making melt seasons longer, hotter, and more destructive.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Summer is the season when glaciers lose mass through melting and evaporation. A healthy glacier can recover these losses during winter snowfall. But as the climate warms, many glaciers are losing more ice each summer than they gain in winter.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Some of this water plunges through deep shafts called moulins, carrying surface water all the way to the glacier's base. A glacier in summer can be surprisingly wet and dynamic. Meltwater can lubricate the glacier's base and influence how quickly the ice moves.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Scientists call this reduction in reflectivity a decrease in albedo. Why does it matter? Darker surfaces absorb more heat, accelerating melting throughout the summer. During summer, meltwater forms streams, ponds, and even waterfalls on the glacier's surface.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
As the seasonal snow disappears, glacier ice starts to emerge. Ice is darker than fresh snow and absorbs more solar energy. Dust, soot, pollen, and tiny particles carried by the wind can darken the surface even further.
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Glacierwatch @glacierwatch.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Hot Glacier Summer What happens when the melt season begins? Summer means holidays, hiking, and long days. But for glaciers, it marks the start of their most challenging season.
A view of a glaciated mountain range with flowers in the foreground. Photo by Vsevolod / UnsplashDark spots on the glacier tongue of Solheimajokull, Iceland. Photo by Shino Nakamura / UnsplashKnik glacier in Alaska in July with a meltwater pool. Photo by Stephen Crane / UnsplashA vast glacier flows down a rocky mountain slope. Photo by Jack White / Unsplash
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