Using old spy images, scientists have revealed that glaciers are melting at an alarming rate. The only way to avert a huge natural disaster, they warn, would be to cool the earth's temperatures.
The Asian mountain range has been losing ice at a rate of about 1% a year since 2000, according to a study published Wednesday in Science Advances.
That equates to a decrease in size by more than a foot-and-a-half (50 centimeters) each year — double the rate of the previous 25 years.
The pictures, taken over a 40-year period using Cold War-era satellite observations across India, China, Nepal and Bhutan, reveal a threat to water supplies for large swathes of the Asian population.
Almost 1 billion people depend on melt-water to sustain their rivers.
The only way to mitigate the problem would be to cool the planet's temperature, scientists concluded.
This photo from January 3 1976 photo shows the center of Mount Everest. Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/National Reconnaissance Office
'Scary' melt rate
"This is the clearest picture yet of how fast Himalayan glaciers are melting over this time interval, and why," said Joshua Maurer, lead author and glacier researcher at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.
"The amount of ice lost is scary but what is much more scary is the doubling of the melt rate," he added.
The revelations come in the midst of climate change talks in the German city of Bonn as thousands of delegates met to discuss ways of implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement. Nearly 200 nations signed the agreement but many are struggling to implement its demands, namely the ambition of fighting climate change via a sustainable low carbon future.
Climate researcher Stefan Rahmstorf told DW that some countries are doing more than others in combating emissions. "Great Britain has gone almost completely coal-free. Emissions have dropped to a level last seen in the 19th century," he said.
According to Rahmstorf, the full costs of the damage done to the climate need to be reflected in product prices. He added: "In most places around the world there is no carbon price so it is basically free to pollute the atmosphere with CO2."
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Alarming consequences
Joseph Shea, a glacial geographer at the University of Northern British Columbia, said the research exposed the real extent of the problem that even glaciers in the world's highest mountains were vulnerable to the effects of global warming.
Shea was concerned about the repercussions for the Asian people. "In the long term, this will lead to changes in the timing and magnitude of stream-flow in a heavily populated region," he said.
NASA climate scientist Josh Willis said that the research reinforces what analysts already feared.
"As a scientist it's nice to hear that we're right, but then again as a civilian it's sometimes a little scary to hear that we're right," he said.
What space can teach us about the environment
Humanity took its first steps in space nearly 60 years ago. Since then, space-based technologies have dramatically enhanced our understanding of the environment. They're even starting to help tackle climate change.
Image: Pew Charitable Trusts
Valuable data
Before satellites were first launched into space in the mid-20th century, we knew very little about the dynamics of our climate. Today, numerous satellites collect information which helps us piece together the story of our changing planet. In 1985, they helped discover the hole in the ozone layer, and data from space remains key to tackling global warming.
Image: Pew Charitable Trusts
Warning system
Some satellites monitor signs of climate change, such as melting ice caps, rising sea levels and amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere. The Jason-3 satellite (pictured), launched in 2016, can make precise measurements of global sea levels, a key indicator of climate change. The data will give us a stronger understanding of just how our oceans are being affected by increased temperatures.
Image: NASA.gov
Caught in the act
Space technology has paved the way for the development of increasingly sophisticated surveying and monitoring tools which can track everything from deforestation to illegal fishing ships and even oil spills. This way, researchers know exactly when and where environmental — and legal — action needs to be taken.
Image: DW/N. Pontes
Tracking natural disasters
Satellites play a vital role in tracking natural disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires and floods. As well as providing an early warning for those on the ground, they also help authorities track the intensity of the event and understand the scale of the devastation. Monitoring storm systems helps generate better climate models to predict future disasters.
Image: Reuters/NOAA
Space gardening
Growing plants in space has already taught us valuable lessons which can be applied to sustainable agriculture on Earth. Astronauts on the International Space Station have discovered they can use less water to grow vegetables, and China recently made history by germinating a cotton seed on the far side of the moon. As our planet warms, this knowledge could be vital for farmers.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/NASA
The problem with rocket emissions
Unfortunately, space technology has also had a negative impact on the environment. Every time a rocket is launched it produces a plume of exhaust smoke filled with bits of soot and a chemical called alumina, which can build up in the stratosphere and deplete the ozone. Space agencies are looking to lessen their use of "ozone-depleting substances" and are researching more eco-friendly fuels.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/ISRO
...and space debris
There are currently more than 20,000 trackable pieces of space junk in orbit around Earth, including everything from old rockets to bolts and screws. They're not technically part of Earth's ecosphere, but if we're not careful the junk may become so dense that satellites won't be able to function properly and provide us with the data we so desperately need.
