A glacier in Tyrol that has been under close scientific observation for decades is melting faster than ever recorded before, scientists reported on Friday.
Data from Innsbruck University show that the glacier has lost around 5% of its overall volume this year alone.
"That is equal to around 20 million cubic metres of water, which is roughly the drinking water supply of the city of Innsbruck for 20 months," Rainer Prinz of the project Ice and Climate said.
During the winter months, only two metres of snow had fallen on the glacier; in the past, the snow had usually been around three metres deep.
In the summer, the area recorded the second highest temperatures on record. Situated in the Ötztal valley, it has been studied for more than a century, with records about its mass existing since 1952, making it one of the best-researched glaciers of the Alps.
"These are clear signals of climate change caused by human interference," Prinz said. Researchers predict that the only half of the glacier will remain in 10 to 20 years.
For now, the glacier still covers an area of almost seven square kilometres, making it one of the largest in Tyrol. There are around 900 glaciers in Austria.
