Earth’s Melting Glaciers Contain Less Ice Than Earlier Estimated

The world’s shrinking glaciers contain less ice than previously estimated, according to a ground-breaking study that highlights a future of tight water supplies as climate change accelerates.

Scientists for the first time measured the thickness and movement of more than 250,000 mountain glaciers using new satellite imaging techniques. More than 1 million hours of computing time was used to analyze nearly 812,000 pairs of high-resolution photos. By estimating the thickness of a glacier, the scientists were able to more accurately pinpoint the volume of ice it contains.

The survey encompassed 98% of areas on Earth that were covered in glaciers ...