Pyrenees glaciers ‘may vanish by 2050’

THE glaciers of the Pyrenees could vanish by mid-century, warns an association that has measured them for 15 years.

The Association Pyrénéenne de Glaciologie says there are about 30 glaciers in the mountain range, but it estimates that 15 have disappeared since 2001 and in total the surface area has dropped from 5km2 to 3km2.

While the glacier cover naturally increases and regresses over the decades, the current loss is thought to be due to human activities and global warming.