Terrifying map reveals the fate of every single glacier on Earth - as scientists warn HALF could collapse by 2100

A terrifying map has revealed the fate of every single glacier on Earth. 

Called the Global Glacier Extinction Explorer, the interactive tool is the brainchild of scientists from ETH Zurich and Vrije Universiteit Brussel. 

By zooming in, you can investigate whether a glacier is expected to disappear under different levels of global warming. 

The map also reveals approximately when this could happen. 

'Global numbers such as glacier mass or area loss can feel very abstract,' said Dr Lander Van Tricht.

'With this website, people can zoom into their own valley or mountain region and see what different levels of global warming could mean for the glaciers they know.'

Worryingly, the scientists say that nearly half of today's glaciers could disappear by 2100 if global warming remains at +1.5°C – with catastrophic consequences. 

A terrifying map has revealed the fate of every single glacier on Earth. Called the Global Glacier Extinction Explorer, the interactive tool is the brainchild of scientists from ETH Zurich and Vrije Universiteit Brussel

To explore the fate of Earth's glaciers, select a warming scenario in the box on the left. There are options for 1.5°C, 2°C, 2.7°C, or 4°C of warming. 

The colour of the dots indicates each glacier's fate. 

Dark red shows that a glacier is already extinct, while orange suggests it will become extinct between 2027 and 2041. 

If the dot is light blue, it suggests the glacier is one of the few to survive through 2100. 

Alternatively, you can hover over a glacier for a quick summary, or click it to explore its full profile, including area, elevation range, and projected extinction timing across scenarios.

The map is based on 2024 projections by researchers at ETH Zurich, which estimated when and where glaciers around the world could disappear. 

The projections suggest that, under +1.5°C of global warming, around 2,000 glaciers could disappear every year. 

By 2100, that could mean just half of today's glaciers remain. 

Meanwhile, if global temperatures rise by 2.7°C, only 20 per cent of glaciers would remain, while 4°C of warming would leave just 10 per cent of glaciers standing. 

'Every fraction of a degree matters,' Dr Van Tricht said. 

'Limiting warming to 1.5°C could preserve more than twice as many glaciers as a 2.7°C trajectory by 2100.'

Dark red shows that a glacier is already extinct, while orange suggests it will become extinct between 2027 and 2041. If the dot is light blue, it suggests the glacier is one of the few to survive through 2100

The map is based on 2024 projections by researchers at ETH Zurich, which estimated when and where glaciers around the world could disappear

What are glaciers?

A glacier is a large, persistent mass of dense ice formed over centuries from compressed snow.

It moves slowly downhill under its own weight, acting as a 'river of ice' eroding surrounding landscapes.

Glaciers are found in cold regions and high altitudes, covering about 10 per cent of Earth's land and acting as a vital freshwater source.

While 2100 still feels far away, 2026 has already proved to be a bad year for glaciers.

A combination of low winter snow and several summer heatwaves has resulted in 'substantial' ice loss across the European Alps, according to the researchers. 

They highlight Bella Tola Glacier near Saint-Luc in Switzerland, which was sadly declared extinct last month – an outcome that was predicted by the 2024 study. 

In addition, Urirotstock Glacier – one of Switzerland's smallest glaciers – was also declared extinct this summer. 

Dr Van Tricht said: 'These examples make the concept of glacier extinction very concrete.

'Our projections showed that many small Alpine glaciers are approaching the end of their lives, and we are now witnessing this process in real time.

'Bella Tola is particularly striking, as its observed disappearance falls directly within the extinction window projected by our models.'

While the researchers did not look at the consequences of such glacier loss, a study last month warned how their demise could spark devastating sea level rise. 

Researchers from Ca' Foscari University of Venice estimate that glaciers outside the vast ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica contain around 150,000 cubic kilometres of ice.

If every one of these glaciers melted completely, it would raise global sea levels by more than 12 inches (32.3cm).

'Behind every disappearing glacier is a place, a history and often a community that will experience its absence,' Dr Van Tricht said. 

'The fact that some of the glaciers projected to disappear in our study are already vanishing today shows that glacier extinction is not a distant, end–of–century problem. It is happening now.'