Following initial coverage of accelerated global glacier losses projected by ETH Zurich researchers, the full study—published December 15, 2025, in *Nature Climate Change*—reveals precise disappearance timelines for Earth's ~211,000 glaciers. Limiting warming to 1.5°C preserves ~100,000 by 2100 (versus 18,000 at 4°C), with 'Peak Glacier Extinction' hitting 2,000 glaciers lost in 2041 under low warming or 4,000 in 2055 at high levels.
The international team, including ETH Zurich's Chair of Glaciology, WSL, and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, shifted analysis to individual glacier counts and longevity. 'For the first time, we've put years on when every single glacier on Earth will disappear,' said lead author Lander Van Tricht.
Small, low-elevation glaciers are most vulnerable. In the Alps, peak losses occur 2033–2041, exceeding historical rates (over 1,000 Swiss glaciers gone 1973–2016). At 2.7°C warming, only 110 (3%) remain in Central Europe by 2100; at 4°C, just 20. The Rhône Glacier may become an ice patch, Aletsch fragment.
Other regions: Rocky Mountains retain 4,400 (25% of 18,000) at 1.5°C but 101 at 4°C; Andes 43% (∼950) to 6%; Central Asia 43% (∼2,500) to 4%.
'Peak Glacier Extinction' marks maximum annual losses: 2041 (2,000 glaciers) at 1.5°C, delaying to 2055 (4,000) at 4°C as larger glaciers melt slower. 'The results underline how urgently ambitious climate action is needed,' said co-author Daniel Farinotti.
Losses threaten tourism, water security, and culture. 'The melting of a small glacier hardly contributes to rising seas. But when a glacier disappears completely, it can severely impact tourism,' Van Tricht noted. The Global Glacier Casualty List documents losses like Birch and Pizol, preserving stories amid inevitable change.