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FACTS ABOUT GLACIERS Glaciers and icecaps cover about 10% of the world's landmass. These are concentrated in Greenland and Antarctica and contain approximately 70% of the world's freshwater According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), 96% of the world's frozen freshwater is at the South and North poles, with the remaining 4% spread over 550 000 km2 of glaciers and mountainous icecaps measuring about 180 000 km3 Glacial ice often appears blue when it has become very dense Years of compression gradually make the ice denser over time, forcing out the tiny air pockets between crystals. When glacier ice becomes extremely dense, the ice absorbs all other colours in the spectrum and reflects primarily blue, which is what we see. When glacier ice is white, that usually means that there are many tiny air bubbles still in the ice. If all land ice melted, sea level would rise approximately 70 metres worldwide. Almost 90% of an iceberg is below water-only about 10% shows above water. Between 1980-2001, the thickness of 30 major mountain glaciers decreased by an average of 6 metres. The Kutiah Glacier in Pakistan holds the record for the fastest glacial surge. In 1953, it raced more than 12 kilometers in three months, averaging about 112 metres per day Between 1962 and 2000 the Kilimanjaro has lost approximately 55% of its glaciers.
Information extracted from UNEP, 2002 (www.unep.org/vitalwater/02.htm); Source: UNESCO Water Portal, February 2005
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