Slovenia has lost one of its two glaciers, with the Triglav glacier on Mount Triglav completely melting away this summer due to rising temperatures and declining winter snowfall. The remaining glacier, Skuta, has shrunk from 2.5 to 3 hectares to 1.5 hectares and thinned from dozens of meters to just a few meters over 80 years of monitoring by geographers at the Anton Melik Geographical Institute. Scientists predict that Skuta is on the same trajectory as the lost Triglav Glacier, which measured over 14 hectares 80 years ago. Experts also forecast that all glaciers below 3,500 meters altitude in Austria will disappear by 2050, affecting major rivers fed by glacier meltwater such as the Drava and Mura. Mountain huts in the Slovenian Alps are already experiencing water shortages during the summer months, as glaciers have historically served as vital water reservoirs for surrounding valleys.
Source: Read the original article
