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Western Canada and U.S. Glaciers Are Melting Twice as Fast Since 2021

Wildfire ash darkening ice surfaces has intensified melt, exposing gaps in glacier modeling

Robson Glacier is shown in this handout photo provided by the Hakai Institute. A research letter published in a peer-reviewed journal this week shows glaciers in Western Canada and the United States, excluding Alaska and Yukon, lost 12 per cent of their mass from 2021 to 2024, while the rate of loss increased twofold. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout β€” Hakai Institute (Mandatory Credit)
Klinaklini Glacier, located on the Central Coast of British Columbia and shown here in 2017, is the largest glacier in western North America outside Alaska. But it’s melting rapidly, losing about one gigaton of water each year, according to research led by the University of Northern British Columbia.

Overview

  • Glaciers in Western Canada and the United States lost 12% of their mass from 2021 to 2024, doubling the melt rate compared to 2010–2020.
  • Low winter snow accumulation, early-season heat waves and prolonged dry spells have reduced albedo and accelerated ice loss.
  • Increased black carbon from severe wildfire seasons has darkened glacier surfaces, creating a feedback loop that fuels further melting.
  • From 2000 to 2023, glaciers worldwide shed roughly 273 gigatonnes of ice each year, contributing about one-fifth of observed sea-level rise.
  • Most glaciers in the study regions are projected to vanish by the end of this century under moderate emissions scenarios unless models incorporate processes like ash deposition and albedo changes.