The year 2022 is about to end, and it will be remembered as the "Annus Horribilis" for Italian glaciers. The intense and persistent heat from spring to late fall, as well as the drought with its dramatic protracted lack of rain, ruthlessly attacked our mountains' "white giants." The fall of the Marmolada, along with its victims, was the most audible scream of sorrow, a clear indication of what is happening: global warming is melting glaciers all over the globe. The Alps are no different. The Western Alps have a yearly frontal retreat of roughly 40 meters. The Gran Paradiso Glacier recedes by 200 meters, as do the glaciers of Timorion (Valsavaranche) and Ruitor (La Thuile), Verra (Val d'Ayas), the Lys, and other Monte Rosa glacial bodies such as the Indren. From 1990 until present, the Pré de Bar has lost an average of 18 meters of linear retreat every year, while the Miage has lost almost 100 billion liters of water in 14 years. The Planpincieux and Grandes Jorasses glaciers in Val Ferret (Aosta) might collapse, swallowing the valley's towns and infrastructure. In the central sector, the Wolf Glacier lost 60% of what it lost over 12 years in just 2022. The Careser Glacier (Val di Pejo) in the Eastern Alps has reduced by 86%. The Marmolada Glacier might vanish in fifteen years, having lost more than 70% of its surface area and more than 90% of its volume during the previous century.
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