The Shocking Reality of Melting Ice on Svalbard
The Norwegian Polar Institute has described the findings on Svalbard this year as shocking.
Svalbard is melting. This was confirmed by the US civilian space agency NASA last fall. Satellite images and model calculations, conducted by researchers from several international institutions, showed that the glaciers on Svalbard were facing their worst melting season since measurements began.
Now, the Norwegian Polar Institute has completed its annual mass measurements of glaciers on Svalbard, and the results are disheartening.
At the front of Kongsvegen, one of the glaciers examined by glaciologists, nearly 5 meters of ice melted away during the summer.
New Record “by a Generous Margin”
Both increased ocean and air temperatures contribute to the melting of glaciers on Svalbard. However, according to Kohler, the reason for this year’s record melting is increased air temperature.
The summer of 2024 was the warmest ever recorded in the archipelago. This made the findings on the Svalbard glaciers expected, but the glaciologists were still “shocked by the degree of ice melting,” the institute reported.
Both the summer balance and the net balance set new records, by a generous margin compared to previous records from 2020 and 2022, according to the Norwegian Polar Institute.
The situation is only expected to worsen.
“It’s going in that direction. The trend is clear,” says Kohler.
Glaciers Shrinking and Sea Levels Rising
According to the senior researcher, what is happening in the Arctic will affect everyone through sea level rise. Ice melting around the globe turns into water, causing the sea to rise faster.
The melting from the world’s “small glaciers,” like those on Svalbard, accounts for about 20% of sea level rise. From 1994 to 2024, the annual sea level rise has been approximately 3.4 millimeters per year, totaling 10.19 cm over the 30-year period.
Kohler explains that many tidewater glaciers are disappearing around Svalbard.
“Kronebreen and Kongsvegen still have a few kilometers to go into the sea. They won’t disappear right away, but many of the tidewater glaciers around Svalbard are already on the verge of becoming, or have become, land-terminating. This will affect the circulation in the fjords and the ecosystem,” says Kohler.
Large and Rapid Changes
Geir Wing Gabrielsen, a senior researcher in ecotoxicology at the Norwegian Polar Institute, has been researching and monitoring climate, pollutants, and plastic pollution in the Svalbard area for four decades.
“During my time in Svalbard, I have seen large and rapid changes in nature and the environment in this area,” he said during the recent Nansen memorial lecture organized by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
It is particularly in the Arctic that temperatures are expected to increase as the world’s climate warms. As previously mentioned, temperatures in Svalbard have increased 5–7 times the global average in the last 30 years. The increase is greatest in the northeast of Svalbard, where temperatures have risen by up to 9 degrees in the last 30 years.
“There were a lot of hot days this summer, which I didn’t see when I started going up there in the 1980s. We didn’t have such temperatures as we see now,” he said.
Gabrielsen points out that there has never been so little sea ice around Svalbard in August as there was this year. The loss of ice in the Arctic Ocean since 1980 is equivalent to two times the land area of Scandinavia. The loss of ice also affects species living under multi-year ice.
Are We to Blame?
Kohler is adamant that the cause of temperature increases is anthropogenic climate change. However, stopping the trend has proven to be extremely difficult.
“The most favorable thing is that we stop emitting so much CO₂ into the atmosphere, but it’s difficult to achieve,” he says.
Kohler scoffs at talk of natural causes for temperature increases.
“People can protest all they want. Time will show that they were wrong, unfortunately,” he says.
Conclusion
The melting of glaciers on Svalbard is a clear indication of the impact of climate change on the Arctic region and the global implications of rising sea levels. The alarming rate of ice melt observed by researchers underscores the urgent need for action to mitigate the effects of anthropogenic climate change and preserve the delicate ecosystems of the polar regions.
FAQ
What is causing the record melting of glaciers on Svalbard?
The record melting of glaciers on Svalbard is primarily attributed to increased air temperatures, which have been exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change.
How will the melting glaciers on Svalbard affect sea levels?
The melting glaciers on Svalbard contribute to approximately 20% of global sea level rise, highlighting the significant impact of polar ice melt on rising sea levels worldwide.