THE Calderone ice formation in central Italy once laid claim to being the southernmost glacier in Europe before it shrank and split into much-diminished glacierets.
As climate change drives global temperatures ever higher, the glacier risks melting away into the geological record books altogether.
Situated in a deep valley in the Gran Sasso d'Italia, a massif in the Apennine Mountains, the Calderone glacier first split two decades ago.
It became the southernmost glacier in Europe after the Corral del Veleta in the Sierra Nevada in Spain melted in the early 20th century.
But since then it has been in headlong retreat: its volume reducing by around 90 percent between 1916 and 1990, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of Glaciology.
"This was the southernmost glacier in Europe and that's why it was an icon and a symbol, but now it is shrinking more and more," glaciologist Massimo Frezzotti told AFP.
"We estimate it could disappear within the next 10-20 years," said Frezzotti, who is president of the Italian Glaciological Committee.
He said the ablation season a period, usually the summer, when glaciers lose more mass than they gain effectively "disappeared because temperatures increased".
"The duration of the ablation seasons became longer, the rainfall remained constant but there is a reduction in the snowfall and of course the mass balance of the glacier has shrunk more and more," he said.
Massimo Pecci, another member of the group, has been studying the Calderone glacier for the past 25 years.
"Since 2000 we have been witnessing a gradual reduction of the thickness, of the area and a further fragmentation into smaller glacierets," Pecci said.
Global warming caused by human activity mostly the burning of fossil fuels has pushed up Earth's average surface temperature 1.1 degrees Celsius (2.0 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to mid-19th century levels.
Most of that increase has occurred in the past 50 years.
"We don't know yet how the story is going to end... let's hope it's not going to end," Pecci said.
ETX Studio
Mon Aug 16 2021
The Calderone ice formation in central Italy once laid claim to being the southernmost glacier in Europe before it shrank and split into much-diminished glacierets. -ETX Studio
AWANI Ringkas: Selepas tiga hari SAR, mayat pemancing hilang ditemukan
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Akaun 3: Keputusan KWSP beri pilihan kepada pencarum wajar - Pakar kewangan
Keputusan Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP) untuk memberi pilihan kepada pencarum tidak memindahkan caruman mereka ke dalam Akaun 3 (Akaun Fleksibel) adalah satu langkah yang wajar.
Anggota tentera meninggal dunia selepas acara larian
Allahyarham Staf Sarjan Mohd Irfan Faizal Ismail, 41, meninggal dunia ketika mendapat rawatan di hospital kira-kira jam 10.25 malam.
Blockout 2024: 'Semua pihak jangan ambil tindakan ekstrem' - Menteri agama
Semua pihak diseru supaya tidak mengambil tindakan ekstrem termasuk memfitnah, mencaci dan mengugut dalam menunjukkan tanda solidariti kepada rakyat Palestin.
Kolaborasi negara pesat membangun perlu diperkukuh, sokong ekonomi - Anwar
Kolaborasi antara negara sedang pesat membangun perlu diperkukuh agar dapat menyokong pertumbuhan ekonomi masing-masing dalam kalangan negara yang terlibat, kata Anwar.
Projek naik taraf Jalan Persekutuan FT3210 Hulu Langat manfaat 52,000 pengguna
Projek menaik taraf Jalan Persekutuan FT3210 dari Jalan Dato Alias ke persimpangan Batu 9, Hulu Langat yang dijangka siap pertengahan 2026.
EPL: VAR singkirkan keseronokan dalam bola sepak - Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney, berharap agar Liga Perdana Inggeris (EPL) tidak lagi menggunakan teknologi Video Bantuan Pengadil (VAR) dalam saingan liga musim depan.
Pemancing hilang di Empangan Tasik Pedu ditemui lemas
Mayat pemancing yang dipercayai lemas di Empangan Tasik Pedu, dekat Kuala Nerang pada Khamis lepas ditemui hari ini.
Harimau Malaya bakal uji kekuatan Indonesia?
Harimau Malaya dijangkakan akan menguji kekuatan Indonesia dalam satu perlawanan persahabatan sebelum bermulanya saingan Piala ASEAN 2024 nanti.
Taman Eko Rimba KL berpotensi jadi tarikan pelancong - Nik Nazmi
Taman Eko Rimba Kuala Lumpur (TERKL) di Bukit Nenas berpotensi untuk dibangun dan dipromosikan sebagai satu lagi tarikan di ibu kota, kata Menteri Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.