The number of Italian glaciers has
increased, but their overall surface has dropped by 30% since
the last glacier census in 1962, new data presented at the 19th
Alpine Glaciology Meeting showed Friday.
Italy's glaciers have shrunk by 157 square kilometers,
fragmenting into 903 different glaciers spread out over six
regions and adding up to 369 square kilometers.
The biggest drop in glacier surface occurred in the
northern Friuli and Piedmont regions, where they shrank by half,
while those in Trentino Alto Adige were reduced by a third,
according to the data.
Glacial ice is the largest reservoir of freshwater on
Earth, and glacial mass changes are considered among the most
sensitive indicators of climate change.
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