UNAM: Mexico’s last remaining glaciers likely to disappear within 5 years

Mexico’s 12 surviving glaciers — 9 connected Pico de Orizaba and 3 connected Iztaccíhuatl — are connected the brink of disappearing wrong 5 years, according to probe from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

Driven by rising planetary temperatures and volcanic activity, the nonaccomplishment of the glaciers threatens h2o supplies, biodiversity and taste heritage, researchers said. Mexico’s second-tallest peak, Popocatépetl, has already been without glaciers for much than 20 years.

During a March 21 symposium astatine UNAM titled “Glaciers, Climate Change and Local Water Management,” UNAM volcanologist Hugo Delgado Granados explained that conservation is nary longer viable owed to a warming climate.

“The equilibrium line, wherever snowfall accumulation offsets melting, present sits supra 5,300 meters — higher than immoderate Mexican glacier,” said the UNAM Institute of Geophysics researcher.

The 3 glaciers connected Iztaccíhuatl, which screen lone 0.2 quadrate kilometers combined, persist lone due to the fact that they are sheltered successful volcanic craters, helium added.

“This protects them successful immoderate way,” helium said. “But, glaciologically speaking, they should nary longer beryllium there.”

At an elevation of 5,230 meters (17,160 feet) supra oversea level, Iztaccíhuatl is Mexico’s third-highest mountain. Meaning “white woman” successful the Nahuatl connection for snow-capped peaks that lucifer a sleeping woman, the dormant volcano — which hasn’t erupted successful thousands of years — is astir 55 kilometers southeast of Mexico City connected the borderline of Puebla and México state.

Its glacial wide registered a 20% nonaccomplishment of country betwixt a 1964 survey and different 1 successful 2005, representing a retreat of 10,122 quadrate meters per year.

The 9 named glaciers connected Pico de Orizaba suffered adjacent much pronounced losses, specified arsenic Gran Norte losing up to 90% of its wide betwixt 1958 and 2001, and Oriental shrinking by 50% betwixt 2003 and 2018, according to studies.

Also known arsenic Citlaltépetl (Nahuatl for “star mountain”), Pico de Orizaba measures 5,636 meters (18,491 feet), making it Mexico’s highest highest and the tallest volcano successful North America. Located connected the borderline of Puebla and Veracruz, it hasn’t erupted since 1846. Its Jamapa Glacier, the country’s largest, covers astir 9.1 quadrate kilometers and provides captious freshwater to adjacent regions.

Popocatépetl’s past glaciers disappeared implicit 20 years ago, hastened by volcanic activity. (File photo)

As for Popocatépetl — an progressive volcano and Mexico’s second-highest highest — its glaciers disappeared wholly by 2001, their demise hastened by eruptions.

Standing astatine an elevation of 5,426 meters (17,802 feet), Popocatépetl, “Smoking Mountain” successful Nahuatl, has been continuously progressive since 1994, emitting ash, state and occasional lava flows.

Also nicknamed “Don Goyo” for its relation with Saint Gregory successful section lore (Goyo is simply a diminutive for Gregorio), it is astir 70 kilometers southeast of Mexico City, straddling the borders of Puebla, Morelos and México state.

All 3 of the volcanoes are wrong the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt.

Historical photographs underscore the retreat. A 1920s representation shows Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl blanketed successful snow; by 2018, lone bare stone remained. That year, the Ayoloco Glacier connected Iztaccíhuatl was declared extinct and marked with a commemorative plaque.

Retreating glaciers airs important challenges for adjacent communities, exacerbating h2o scarcity successful a federation already grappling with droughts and pollution.

Researcher Hugo Delgado Granados placed the plaque that commemorates the Ayoloco Glacier connected Iztaccíhuatl. The glacier was declared extinct successful 2018. (UNAM/Cuartoscuro)

Glaciers lend astir 5% of the country’s freshwater supply, Ramiro López Aguirre, vice president of the Mexican Association for Proper Hydration, wrote successful the paper El País.

Glacial retreat besides disrupts ecosystems and prevents upland peaks from absorbing heat.

“Glaciers bespeak star radiation,” López Aguirre wrote, “acting arsenic a earthy shield against excessive warming.”

Globally, UNESCO reports glaciers person mislaid 9,000 gigatons of crystal since 1975 — capable to screen Germany successful 25 meters of crystal — and contributed to a 2.7 centimeter emergence successful oversea levels since 1961. Nearly 2 cardinal radical worldwide trust connected glacial meltwater for drinking, agriculture and vigor generation.

With temperatures continuing to emergence — 2024 was the warmest twelvemonth connected grounds — nations specified arsenic Argentina and Chile person enacted laws protecting glaciers from concern activities similar mining.

However, Delgado argues that Mexico indispensable absorption connected adaptation alternatively than preservation since its 11 glaciers are already beyond saving.

“The question is nary longer whether we tin prevention glaciers, but however to accommodate to a satellite without them,” Delgado said during the 96-minute UNAM round-table discussion, which tin beryllium viewed connected YouTube (if desired, click connected “settings” to acceptable up subtitles auto-translated into English).

Additionally, UNAM Global TV produced a two-minute video, “Glacier Melting: The Latest Call to Action.”

With reports from La Jornada, Infobae, El País and UNAM Global TV