The rapid thaw recorded surprised even the experts. Now they are raising funds to continue spreading the phenomenon.
The rapid thaw recorded has surprised even the experts who are raising funds to continue documenting and disseminating these rapid changes.
It's only 32 seconds, but it's scary. This video recently released by a group of experts from the University of Dundee, Scotland and the University of Iceland, captured how an Icelandic glacier relentlessly retreated in just six weeks, showing us the dire consequences of climate change.
The team - made up of directors, glaciologists and scientific communicators - installed two time-lapse cameras at Breiðamerkurjökull, the glacier located in the Vatnajökull National Park in the south-east of the country and which feeds the famous Jökulsárlón lake. The images recorded between July 29 and September 5, 2021 surprised even them and highlighted how the rapid rate of thaw in the summer is significantly outpacing the recovery during the winter months.
We knew that Breiðamerkurjökull is retreating quickly, but the disbandment we recorded in just six weeks surprised even the experts, ”said Kieran Baxter project director and lecturer in Communication Design at the University of Dundee.
Crowdfunding to monitor ice
@Kieran Baxter/ClimateVis
In addition to collecting data on how quickly glaciers are disappearing, the interdisciplinary team is working, through the Ice-Watch project, to raise our awareness of what is happening. To boost monitoring efforts, specialists have launched a fundraising campaign on Gofundme.
By adopting a time-lapse camera you will receive exclusive monthly updates directly from the edge of the glacier and your donation will support the long-term mission of the Ice-Watch project to promote a clear visual understanding of Iceland's glaciers and what they tell us about the world's climate " , we read in the campaign.
All funds raised will go to the purchase of time-lapse photographic equipment for the Ice-Watch project. The idea is to place four new cameras around the edge of the glacier in 2022, to monitor changes that have occurred over the course of a year or more.
Our climate is changing at a dizzying pace, just look at our glacial landscapes. Images like these must serve as a wake-up call not to continue ignoring the signals the earth is sending us.
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