全球冰河都因氣候加速暖化而融化，但歐洲冰河3月16日被聯合國環境規劃署(UNEP)列名為受創最深的區域之一。分佈在九座山脈、將近三十條冰河的資料都顯示，2005年到2006年間平均融解和縮小速率較前一年增加一倍有餘。自1980年以來，冰河厚度已經縮小超過11.5公尺（約38呎）。
主持這份研究的世界冰河監測組織(WGMS)位於蘇黎世大學，這個UNEP所支持的機構觀測冰河已超過一世紀，自1980年開始持續記錄三十條冰河的年平均厚度變化。
WGMS主席海柏理(Wilfried Haeberli)教授表示：「從最新數據看來，融化是加速地進行，而且是以看不到終點的態勢行進。」
WGMS以水量多寡表達冰河厚度增減，2006年冰河減縮可換算為1.4公尺的水量，而2005年只縮小0.5公尺水量。1公尺水量對應為1.1公尺厚冰層，經過換算，2006年冰河厚度減少1.5公尺。海柏理教授指出：「冰河加速融化趨勢已持續二十五年，自1980年至今，冰河已減少10.5公尺的水量。」
WGMS的研究包含超過100條冰河，其中30條列入主要評估，包括南極、亞洲、歐洲、北美州、拉丁美中和太平洋等處冰河，其中已登錄的重大冰河縮減事件有：
澳洲Grosser Goldbergkees冰河：2006年縮減1.2公尺，2005年縮減0.3公尺。
法國Ossoue冰河：2006年縮減將近3公尺，2005年縮減2.7公尺
義大利Malavalle冰河：2006年縮減1.4公尺，2005年縮減0.9公尺
西班牙Maladeta冰河：2006年縮減2公尺，2005年縮減1.6公尺
瑞典Storglaciaeren冰河：2006年縮減1.8公尺，2005年縮減0.08公尺
瑞士Findelen冰河：2006年縮減1.3公尺，2005年縮減0.22公尺
並非所觀測的100條冰河全部縮減，也有幾條屬於增厚，例如智利Echaurren Norte冰河，而波利維亞Chacataya冰河、加拿大Place冰河、印度Hamatah冰河、美國Daniels冰河和Yawning冰河則屬於2006年縮減厚度較2005年少。
然而在主要評估冰河中，只有智利Echaurren冰河在同期出現增厚情況。
WGMS這份報告詳見此處
European glaciers are among the hardest hit, but most of the world's glaciers are melting at a record pace as global warming accelerates, the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, announced today.
Data from close to 30 reference glaciers in nine mountain ranges indicate that between the years 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 the average rate of melting and thinning more than doubled.
Since 1980 there has been a total reduction in thickness of ice of just over 11.5 meters, or almost 38 feet.
The findings come from the UNEP-supported World Glacier Monitoring Service based at the University of Zurich. It has been tracking the condition of glaciers for over a century. Continuous data series of annual mass balance, expressed as thickness change, are available for 30 reference glaciers since 1980.
"The latest figures are part of what appears to be an accelerating trend with no apparent end in sight," said World Glacier Monitoring Service Director Professor Wilfried Haeberli.
The Service calculates thickening and thinning of glaciers in terms of "water equivalent." The estimates for the year 2006 indicate that further shrinking took place equal to around 1.4 meters of water equivalent compared to losses of half a meter in 2005.
On average, one meter water equivalent corresponds to 1.1 meters in ice thickness, indicating a further shrinking in 2006 of 1.5 actual meters. "This continues the trend in accelerated ice loss during the past two and a half decades and brings the total loss since 1980 to more than 10.5 meters of water equivalent," said Dr. Haberli.
The World Glacier Monitoring Service findings contain figures from around 100 glaciers, of which 30 form the core assessment, found in Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America and the Pacific.
Dramatic shrinking has been registered at:
• Austria's Grosser Goldbergkees glacier, 1.2 meters in 2006 versus 0.3 in 2005
• France's Ossoue glacier, nearly 3 meters versus around 2.7 meters in 2005
• Italy's Malavalle glacier 1.4 meters versus around 0.9 meters in 2005
• Spain's Maladeta glacier, nearly 2 meters versus 1.6 meters in 2005
• Sweden's Storglaciaeren glacier, 1.8 meters versus close to 0.080 meters in 2005
• Switzerland's Findelen glacier, 1.3 meters versus 0.22 meters in 2005
Not all of the close to 100 glaciers monitored posted losses. There was some thickening during the same period including Chile's Echaurren Norte glacier while others, such as Bolivia's Chacaltaya glacier; Canada's Place glacier; India's Hamtah glacier and the Daniels and Yawning glaciers in the Untied States shrank less in 2006 than they did in 2005.
However, for the close to 30 reference glaciers only one - Echaurren Norte in Chile - thickened over the same period.
The latest World Glacier Monitoring Service figures are online at: http://www.geo.unizh.ch/wgms/mbb/mbb9/sum06.html
全文及圖片詳見：ENS
