<
https://theconversation.com/frozen-in-time-old-paintings-and-new-photographs-reveal-some-nz-glaciers-may-soon-be-extinct-224373>
"As the austral summer draws to a close, we are preparing to fly over the
Southern Alps to survey glaciers. This annual flight supports the longest
scientific study of Aotearoa New Zealand’s icescapes – and it shows that all of
our glaciers have retreated since 1978.
This year’s survey comes on the heels of the warmest year on record globally
and the second warmest for New Zealand, which produced extreme weather events
and impacts that still cut deep for many local communities.
Despite strong El Niño conditions in the Pacific this season, which typically
boost ice volume, we expect the recent heat grilling the glaciers will have had
a grim effect.
The 46-year record of end-of-summer glacier images is incredibly valuable
because it contains irrefutable visual evidence of climate change. We can see
how glaciers are changing from year to year, with extremely hot years such as
2023 standing out clearly.
But our insights aren’t limited to images of glaciers taken from light
aircraft. We can also learn from historic paintings of New Zealand’s mountain
landscapes."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
