Glaciers around the world are subtly resisting the effects of global warming. As air moves over them, it gets cooled, creating a local cooling effect. However, this natural cooling system is not expected to last for long. A new global study from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), published in Nature Climate Change, has discovered that glaciers are nearing the point where they can no longer cool the air around them. Within the next ten years, this“self-cooling” effect will reach its peak. After that, as the ice continues to melt and shrink, the air above glaciers will warm more rapidly, causing the glaciers to disappear faster.

Understanding Glacier Cooling

In a warming world, glaciers act as a cold front. In August 2022, researchers in the Swiss Alps recorded conditions on the Glacier de Corbassière, located over 2,600 metres above sea level. Despite the mild and sunny day, the air flowing over the glacier was noticeably cooler than the surrounding air.

This cooling happens because glaciers reflect much of the sun's energy and release cold air that flows down into nearby valleys. In places like the Himalayas, these cold winds can help cool the surrounding areas. Although it may seem like nature's way of slowing down climate change, scientists say this effect is only temporary.

Scientists studied temperature data from a weather station on Mount Everest and found that glaciers can slow local warming by enhancing heat exchange at their surface. As warm air flows over a glacier, the ice absorbs some of the heat and releases cold air back. This creates katabatic winds, streams of cold, dense air that flow downhill under gravity.

Similar patterns are seen on glaciers worldwide. These effects can create cooler areas that extend beyond the glacier itself. But this cooling ability depends on the size and structure of the glacier. As glaciers become thinner and retreat, their cooling power decreases.

Gathering a Global Picture

To understand how widespread this phenomenon is, researchers gathered data from all around the globe. They collected data from 350 weather stations placed on 62 glaciers, representing 169 summer field studies. These stations recorded hourly measurements of both surface and surrounding air temperatures.

By comparing these two temperature values, scientists measured how much glacier surface temperatures were out of sync with the warmer air above. On average, glacier surfaces warmed by only about 0.83°C for every 1°C increase in the ambient temperature. This shows that glaciers can partially resist warming, at least for now.

Approaching the Tipping Point

The models suggest that glaciers' ability to cool the air will reach its maximum between the 2020s and 2040s. After that, the steady loss of ice will weaken this process. As glaciers get smaller and their surfaces become rougher or covered in debris, they will lose their connection to the cold air that once protected them.

Eventually, this“decoupling” will reverse. The remaining ice will warm in line with the atmosphere, leading to faster melting and the breaking apart of glaciers. Once this happens, the local cooling effect will disappear, speeding up the loss of mountain ice worldwide.

What Happens Next

The researchers say that attempts to artificially protect glaciers, like covering them with reflective sheets or seeding clouds to create snow, are unlikely to have a meaningful impact. Instead, global actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions remain the only effective way to slow glacier loss and prevent further damage.

Glaciers are sometimes called the“water towers” of the world, feeding rivers that provide water to billions of people. Their decline will change landscapes, threaten water security, and alter weather patterns. While their natural cooling power offers a brief respite, it cannot stop the long-term trend.

The study serves as a reminder that every small increase in temperature matters. The next decade will be crucial, both for the future of the world's glaciers and for the stability of the climate they help protect.

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