some i'd love a new job. why? i think i've got that app with the with read that up way. anything that i will be the was the article or not to ship it with a lot that you liked the article, but i ah mm.

there is no question that our climate is changing and how it will affect life on the planet is of great interest. will we be able to adapt glaciers which are formed over tens of thousands of years can give us important information into our climate and how it has changed over time. what a scary is our glaciers are melting at an alarming rate. to learn more, we came here to mount ellis to speak to victor. couple of them. he has a gracie ologist who has devoted his entire life to the topic. it is a fascinating at times dangerous and very important job. ah, he is on natural indicators of climate change. it's becoming a sunday, they will disappear. today we're seeing the same trend in almost

every mountain system to put in place. he has a shrinking just like getting smaller. ah, do we need to worry about viruses coming into our system? it's definitely something to consider with. is there anything we can do as humans? are we helpless in this process? the only way to slow down and the melting of glaze he has is through a massive intervention before your nuclear war scenario. all the glazes in the world would stump melting even being able to do my job and do something useful for humanity. so i hope is my prime motivation. ah, yes, victor. good. have you out here. thanks for having us in your office. has it we're . it's hard to believe that these groceries will disappear on day. how much time do we actually have?

no. okay. then it was okay when you went to sunday they will disappear, but they'll be here for our generation in the next few generations. the glaciers here in the caucasus follow certain cycles are the one cycle last about 1800 years when it was here in the 1st century b, c. the glaciers were at their peak and then like i got them, it began to shrink and almost disappeared. around the 5th century 80. but really we refer to the period between that time at the 10th century as the r, he is breaking place, he ation or mercy era research near our he is showed that the peoples of the north caucasus freely moved south because there was no ice on the mountain passes, he could easily cross to the other side. you his cycle will repeat and we can extrapolate from the data we have to predict the next period. usually the last big, the so called minor ice age was between the 17th and 19th century seat of the letter about about 600 years to that in about 4 centuries. the won't be any place he has in the caucuses. unfortunately, a couple of just

a few isolated spots will remain the course. the ice won't disappear from the caucus is altogether done like a will be some places where glaciers remain, but there will be very few of them. you would a fortunate, you're watching well, so you've been studying one particular glacier, john, quite for your career for decades. now. how has that changed over time? the needs of what the scientist had been closely studying the journey, quite glazier since 1968 says this up for over 50 years already that was repeated somewhat typical, average size and altitude. nikoto should know that this glazier is in a valley. it's something that you can see it all the way back there, that nimble sitting in a saddle between 2 summits in moscow state university has been in charge of researching it element by studying this class. here we can see patterns that are relevant for all ice in this area. even even the whole caucus is region cello. the research shows that the glaciers are receding, little becoming smaller in size, volume and height. with a thinning out did you can build in the 1960s the glazier covered 3.2 square

kilometers. the we're now it's $2.00. the other but up good with her. it's last about 20 to 25 percent in 50 years. the both the little orbital. what the cooper so as gracious or seed or as they change over time. the weather can change as well. have you seen any changes in the weather or any consequences of gratiot glaciers receiving here in the specific area? lead nicky heath used on the you load because we're over the last 50 years that the glaze he has been monitored. the general trend has been towards a gradual increase in precipitation levels. and it's a good thing for the glazier. good them over the accumulation of ice in the glazier depends on the total amount of precipitation. you think that my heart bleeds for glaciers here because i study them and would like them to exist for as long as possible whole j muscle. but unfortunately, this trend cannot offset the opposing tendency related to the summer period when glaciers lose mass. or is that the result of changes in solar radiation levels and

their temperature fuel places are natural indicators of climate change and changes in climate determine how glaciers behave. air temperatures arising everywhere across the globe, which is a strong and steady trend. it's becoming warmer which as well as a result, the glazier is losing mass at an increasingly rapid rate or to midwinter. the balance between these 2 processes accumulation and ablation must just tapping towards a loss of mass did out so the glaciers are presently losing mass density with it and the trends of the summer season. now prevailing for now at least that 0 percent over the modest is even if positive trends of the winter season. but underneath the new builder understand now is said that a glacier can be kind of like a time machine. from the moment it was formed until today, can you read glaciers like a book? what kind of information can you get from them and how do you actually extract that information? the unable or did you get the lucy just middleton, her vinegar?

the monitoring activities at the glaciers today include mostly direct observation when we take direct measurements, it could be snow gauging surveys or measuring the snow melt level using a variety of tools like rods. and then we verify the obtained results by comparing them to geodetic measurements, the feasibility of physical survey, data, and cetera, we'll get that would be with however, with this only concerns present day monitoring, where we make observations, has we work with that information about the time before we came here, we can only be extracted from the depths of the glacier, and you need to pull out an ice cold by drilling is the glazier way throughout it. fitness is a kind of data repository where information is stored about events in the distant past. actually, the history that can be retrieved from the glazier does not go back endlessly though still the glacial mass renews. here in the valley, glaciers of the caucuses, we won't find ice dating back dozens of thousands of years. but the john, quite close here, for example, the full cycle of ice mass exchange completes every 110 years. in some other places,

older ice can be found in some crazy old cavities where it stays intact to longer what one of them, but with glazing, has like this one story can only get information about climate change over the past 100 to 110 years, but if we extract an ice go hm. what exactly what information can we get when i score life? we can discern annual layers in the sample. they'll show us the mass balance in the glazier each year. be in and we can identify the exact year by isotopes and other techniques facility if we drill a well at a spot where complete meltdown of ice never occurs. we can count how many layers we have with lamp data, the layer we're interested in the way then we get the value of mass balance for that particular year in that particular spot, which is composed of 2 terrific methods, including radioisotope, dating science, to distinguish between these parameters we can see how the temperatures and precipitation levels changed throughout these 100 to 110 years ago, but it is built up. we can also evaluate the changes in the chemical composition of

the atmosphere over a certain period of time. if we analyze the impurities walker results, et cetera, captured in the ice field again, then a plethora of analytic methods can be used to evaluate the environmental situation and climatic parameters at a given time in the past. that's how it all works. but i want to more with, with but it was in the so i have to ask a lot of people think of science or just paper work and numbers, but your job can be dangerous. there's long expeditions. there's cracks in the ice . there's bad weather, or avalanches, let's say, are what's the most dangerous situation that you've ever encountered? have you ever been scared for your life? talk to me a little bit about that aspect. gooder soother blue mountains have always spelled danger for humors above. they're not safe. when we're working on iglesia, we have to think about the safety of the procedures we're carrying out. first of all, it's a club with no scientific result is worth a lost human life. can you do it, however, we can anticipate and avert any danger?

the brittany, this is one of the main tasks that explorers of the mountains pursue, is toyed and to fight the potential dangerously and take measures to increase their safety as best they can. broadly speaking, we have to walk across crevice surfaces and ice fall areas when working on the glacier, which requires proper mountaineering gear and techniques not including safe equipment like harness it is all to do. that's what we teach our students whistle and what we use at all times. however, certain events can't be anticipated above a lunches, for example, it what, what you, that's why every time we get on to a slope, we have to assess the avalanche hazard of that particular location. first, which is sub ticket though there are slopes, which are strictly prohibited to accessing anywhere, the condition, no matter how convenient they might be for completing a scientific mission. and ideally, we have to keep that in mind from the start up and trying not to plan any measurements on avalanche crone slopes. is that what we can't position our equipment there because we need to be able to access it at any time?

unfortunately, you can't do this everywhere in the mountains who bought it in because you have to pick locations carefully that off the global word, falling rocks or another danger grandmother will go off, typically come, you rock slides are a frequent occurrence in the mountain. so in 2009 vickers, glacier monitoring bass was destroyed by an avalanche. fortunately, nobody was hurt, but descending ice and snow is a major threat to everyday life. here, the region is one of the most avalanche prone places in the world. rising temperatures are caused for the changing face of the terrain. the hot commodity has it been battling snow classes here for over 30 years. he's on the military avalanche control squad. he knows these mountains better than anyone. eager to thank you very much for coming out to meet us i. i have to say that when we were coming down the mountain to actually meet you, victor and i witnessed an actual avalanche. so i have to ask, i are avalanche is happening more often. what was the frequency of avalanches has

to do with climate change? because when you look at the roof, but it's the type of change, it's not directly related to global warming because i still have still, i have to admit, we're seeing more avalanche activity nowadays. for example, there was a massive pine forest near the village of tesco, but surely star that's further over there. we'll go to school, but now it's just bunch trees we just looked on before. 19691. there were pine trees everywhere, wasn't equal, but they've gone now. avalanches have wiped them out over the past. 50 years could be settled. so have you ever personally witnessed an avalanche and if so, tell me about that aspect and that was not a controlled situation. and how did you handle that? oh, no, no blue, dull ill, just all? yes. i have seen avalanches worth. in fact, i was caught in one or you knew number on march, the 8th. 1973. in that done by region. that's in the west and caucuses, were whitaker. now sports guy was with the crew filming

a science documentary award. so you're on our way down the mountain range. capitals, a massive snow slab, came crashing down soren for his lawyer. luckily, i was just tossed aside some, some spontaneous avalanches like this happened from time to time futile truth. you're going to stop by merrily in places that have no avalanche control organization, or what time of year do avalanches most happen or, or when do they frequent to this area? should i be worried about an avalanche right now? if you're or today, or look even for a layman showing that there are certain meteorological factors from no contract to determine whether it's safe or whether it's time to pack up and head down little school girl. first of all, when we're talking about heavy snow fall, so the longer it last issue, the more dangerous it becomes, even this new got by that secondary or it's what we call wind transport. when strong winds carry huge amounts of snow on one place to another, you get a call to repeal even to a beginner. these 2 factors are very important to take into account to go beyond

that. are there a warning system in place? especially true, in any case, you should always rely on your own observation the same. i mean, can you right now, of course, run it still very early for avalanches, for a lot could threaten the valley. so you're perfectly safe if you're most of which social spoke with. so i know that they send off cannon charges and there are different ways that you can control an avalanche. you're the expert, your experience is unparalleled because this area is known for avalanches. what is the best way to control the situation of said union though the united states, russia and canada with the 1st and probably the only countries to implement state run avalanche protection systems. oh, by the way, europe has no such system as a sheet. you know, many years of experience, we've learned that the best approach is a combination of different measures and they look 1st off various avalanche defense

structures at the i, the avalanche gallery venue in the snow retention structures we passed. we're on our way here. glenview scott, these are combined with a number of active measures as a shooter, but like i said on my lot, the important thing is to combine anti avalon structures. so with active interventions, the sheet that the such as showing you and other preventative efforts, what use did you, i so as gracious get smaller, they reflect less sunlight out into the space which makes the greenhouse effect on earth increase, which makes glaciers melt. are they killing themselves in this case? look this for any glacier, whether it's shrinking or growing, reflect more sunlight, lynette, surrounding bedrock or otherwise, right butcher. so the main point here is that the glacier creates a local climate which has cooler bullet, a closed door above the glazier. the temperature is typically lower compared to the

surrounding mountain area. aggravation. one of the effects of these places in the decal, or is there anything that we can do to may be slow down the process of glaciers melting and glaciers we're seeing? is there anything we can do as humans or are we helpless in this process? deal of social seclusion you the shrinking of glaciers due to global warming is not so much a product of human activity, but rather a consequence of certain external factors. women should they needed the only way to slow down the melting of glaciers is through a massive intervention. more than that, if for example, that could, we could cover an entire glazier with a layer of rocks. yes, there are other, more unconventional methods. for example, although it may sound depressing other nuclear war scenario, but most the use of their scientists have come up with different simulations of how glaciers would react. in the case of a hypothetical nuclear conflict, i personally hope it remains a hypothesis is look though,

if we are talking about $4.00 to $5000.00 market on simply the explosions would release vast quantities of sotera sold into the atmosphere. all of this would reduce our atmosphere's transparency to such an extent that the global temperature on earth would drop to minus 20 degrees celsius or according to some predictions down to minus 50 degrees celsius were mentioned. so that means as a result, all iglesias in the world would stop melting, yet other chance was to sell it. well, this is an effective way to slow down the melting was the security. i hope this scenario remains purely hypothetical through. so if i understand also correctly in the 10th centuries here in this region, the glaciers drastically receded. and then there was the little ice age bus called to, if a piece is just one of the cycles more and there have been multiple cycles like this over the millennia, normally. but these cycles do not follow the classical sine wave pattern so crazy as increase in size quite rapidly. hitcho's right?

it takes a very long time for them to shrink and disappear completely. because as was the case during the r, he's breaking place the ation from the 5th to the 10th centuries filled up all of them. these other

you some money that those places are also shrinking over the floor so the area is getting smaller. i thought that was opened the product of a great run off nice applied by a smaller area, doesn't result in more water. it would after a while place he'll run off, we'll start decreasing and it's happening already held the deal of gas glazier seemed to be responding to climate warming that you hand on melting more. but it doesn't mean that the volume of fresh water will continue to increase forever weather. now something that you touched on earlier in our private conversations is about the idea of fresh water for populations is that as glaciers recede, there will be less fresh water for civilians. talk to me a little bit about that though, but yet this is the key thing to remember when we plan glass your monitoring history. essentially, gracie ology the scientific study of glaciers has 2 practical goals. first,

to learn about how water resources are changing the level of the water is human kinds, main natural resource which is in for about 2nd to protect us from disasters of as for fresh water resources. it's true that it's been a major concern in some countries for a while, not only but different countries have different approaches to it. and what in the area areas of central asia shrinking lacey has mean less run off, which could lead to catastrophic consequences in the future up. so it's beginning to be felt even today. they're reservoirs are getting less water than what they were originally expected to hold. last year, just on face the issue of insufficient water for hydro electric power plants above the even started preparing people for the idea that there might be rolling outages to, to low water levels in the reservoir. this problem is only going to get worse and i would, than i think we'll see more frequent instances of that as glazes melt. patricia chip, i muted though quickly because there were you mentioned about more frequent catastrophes

. we've seen in the movies. we know that the she water is going to rise and that the coastal cities could be obliterated by floods. or where does science fiction or an reality meet like, what can we really expect or do we not even know yet? so the such did him, your 64 meters is the classic threshold by which the sea level is expected to rise . in theory, it would have a that won't happen yet when you played ice on earth that will least at this stage of the planetary evolution is never going to be completely lost. that it was for you. i'm talking about the ice mass in greenland, antarctica, et cetera. wouldn't boost the ship essentially, what we're saying about the evolution of the ice cover mostly has to do with mountain ice or through zillow, but all mountain systems of the world combined only amount to about 3 percent of the total ice reserve filter. most of it in antarctica system of them for this mass of ice to milton, it's kirkwood, we'd need a planetary cataclysm through what i would call a cosmic level event, like an asteroid crashing into our planet or the right staying on the idea of where

fantasy meets our reality, or we know that in antarctica, they have discovered viruses deep in ice. and we know that in china recently. the same thing has happened. is that something that we need to worry about, we're coming off of a pandemic here. do we need to worry about ancient virus is coming into our system nuclear flipper. so i think this is something that needs to be looked into. unusually the idea that there may be ancient microorganisms which could be released after ice melt. makes sense, but it's not a concern for the whole world to lose sleep over him. and then with that, although doctors ecologist and other relevant specialists should be the ones to judge, well, it's definitely something to consider. lou middleton now. we've talked a little bit about this presently as well as your job can be dangerous, but it is really interesting. it's really cool. what keeps you motivated? what about your job is fascinating to you. the me personally there no ethic as

the elite researcher has his own reasons, but they were me mount in to the most aesthetically pleasing part of the world surface. and looper. yet, got to what's interesting about mountains is that the neighboring values can have entirely different landscapes and you offer different views, book value. but when you're on a plane, you need to go to other regions or other countries for a change of scene. here are things change very quickly. the youth run of mountains are so diverse, scorching with that, i mean there are so called modern looking alpine type mountains like the caucuses or the alps themselves. look at the, there are older, smoother ranges from your bench which can still be very high like that. yeah. and shine a little more. what level are these needle like mountains which look like something from a moon scape in patagonia argentina, away my favorite region. what the very beautiful mountain, central unforgettable it for me working in the mountains, is a joy robot. the able to being able to do my job and do something useful for humanity. so i hope that is my prime motivation, the global global models,

countries that need to manage their water resources for the purposes of hydraulic engineering, or simply economic activity as a whole needs data from different mountain systems. with what we're doing here in the caucuses, for example, which is really important for international databases, you, him, there is a certain political dimension to the study of glazes for is that you, for example, right now we're working on a glazier part of which is in a foreign country in georgia, hulu, and you live, we used to be able to take measurements across the entire glacier. we need to cover a 100 percent of the area to determine the mass balance it because it's more difficult now because alas, there is a border. i'm sure i don't like to discuss politics, but it's something you have to take into account there. but because political developments are increasingly impacting on glaciers, which will take water use in central asia for the mac or a serious conflict emerging between neighboring countries like here to get down and tajikistan. so again, just give chilly and argentine or, or another example hutcher what they had major differences on where to draw the

border. i believe all of this requires glazier logical knowledge to resolve below. i'd like people to know more about iglesias who discipline, who butcher other colonial

invasion into namibia. from the very start. berlin encouraged the white colonists to settle in south west africa and take away the best land from the local tribes.

the germans were actively draining natural resources and using the local population as a cheap labor source. this was causing major protests and led to a rebellion. in 19 o 4, the hero and nama tribes rebuild against german colonial rule. kaiser wilhelm the 2nd was fully determined and ordered to suppress the rebellion with the utmost severity against the inhabitants of nam may be a germany through it's 15000 well equipped army. all around the country concentration camps were built. in humane medical experiments over citizens were conducted within the period of 4 years. the germans killed up to $60000.00 people, among which there were 80 percent of the hero tribe. and 50 percent of the nama tribe. the events in south west africa are called the 1st genocide of the 20th century, fanned not without reason,

are compared to the holocaust just 2 decades later after the massacre in nam may be a hitler's assault unit boat on the same brown colonial uniform which push the world into the chasm of the 2nd world war with key after forcing ethnic hungarians to fight and die, and ukraine's conflict as new images appear to show key as military violently freezing fresh blood for its rank. also this, our american british and other european delegation demand that african countries stop cooperating with russia and avoid breaking away from the common agenda which the west seas as the restoration of colonial dependence in a new form. russia is foreign minister can the western countries for what he calls their attempts to.