Chile’s National Forestry Corporation has permanently banned tourists from visiting the famous Exploradores glacier that has become unstable due to ice melt.
Travelers from all over the world have been coming to the glacier for at least twenty years, but now hydrologists are sounding the alarm: it is not safe to be there. Although the national park itself is still open, tourists will have to admire the glacier from afar, for example, from a boat.
It is estimated that the glacier has ‘thinned’ by 0.5 meters per year.
The number of meltwater lagoons on top of the glacier is growing rapidly. If the trend continues, a huge amount of ice will calve off the main body of ice one day or its front part will disintegrate. Both processes are caused by global warming.
This is one of many examples demonstrating the negative effects of climate change on our planet. Unique natural objects, like the Exploradores glacier, are at serious risk and are shrinking every year. The global community needs to take measures to protect vulnerable ecosystems and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Only through joint efforts humanity will be able to preserve nature for future generations.