Melting ice: A funeral for a glacier

"This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it."

The plaque used as a memorial for the Okjökull glacier.

In August 2019 more than 100 people, including Iceland's prime minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, held a funeral for

Iceland's Okjökull glacier; they placed a plaque on a stretch of bare rock where the glacier used to be. The hope is that the message on the plaque will raise awareness about climate change and serve as a reminder to current generations that we are the ones who need to do something to slow climate change before it's too late.

Okjökull was first declared dead in 2014 by glaciologist Oddur Sigursson after the glacier went from 16km² in 1890 to 0.7km² in 2012. The Icelandic word for glacier, 'jökull', was removed from its name, so it is now called 'Ok'.

Ok isn't the only one; Iceland currently has 269 named glaciers which cover 11% of Iceland, and it is feared that all of these will be gone by 2200. Countries all over the world are experiencing similar things, for example:

• USA: The Glacier National Park, Montana, had 150 glaciers in 1800, now there are only 25.

• Greenland: The Greenland Ice Sheet is melting 7 times faster than it was in the 1990s.

• Switzerland: Glaciers in Switzerland have shrunk by 10% in the last five years.

Tourism

Hundreds of thousands of people visit Iceland's glaciers each year, losing them would have a big impact on Iceland's economy. However, glaciers aren't the only type of snow and ice being affected by global warming; mountain ranges around the world are experiencing less snowfall each year. Many of you will be going to the Alps or the Pyrenees this holiday for skiing or snowboarding; winter sports and tourism is feeling the impact of global warming. Scientists predict that over the next few decades, the amount of snow in the Pyrenees will decrease by 50%. By the end of this century, Switzerland might see a 70% reduction in its snow cover, meaning that ski resorts below 1200m will probably have to close.

Global Sea Levels

If the Greenland Ice Sheet alone melted it would raise global sea levels by an average of 7m. It is difficult to predict, but many scientists estimate that if all of the ice in the world melted, sea levels would rise by 70m which is an incredible amount. Thankfully, something like that wouldn't happen anytime soon - it could take about 5,000 years - but it helps to show us why slowing down global warming before its too late is so important. Many of the world's biggest cities, including New York and Tokyo, are found in coastal areas and could be seriously impacted by rising sea levels. A sea level rise of just 0.6m could cost trillions of dollars in flood damage each year.

Wildlife

Melting ice and less snowfall impacts many species of animals around the world. Melting sea ice in the Arctic means that polar bears find it harder to catch their prey. In the UK white mountain hares are in decline because their white fur in winter no longer camouflages them against predators. Seals have more difficulty finding safe places on the ice to raise their young.

More information

• Check out this article from National Geographic about what would happen if all the ice melted.

• Find out why sea ice and glaciers are melting on the WWF website.

• Before and after photos of melting glaciers in the US.