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A glacier in Antarctica has been experiencing rapid melting. It has now been named Glasgow Glacier in honour of Glasgow, Scotland.
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This is because Glasgow is hosting the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
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Besides Glasgow Glacier, eight other nearby glaciers will also carry the names of cities where important climate reports were issued or policies were agreed.
Why were these Glaciers named after cities?
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Scientists from the University of Leeds in England have studied several glaciers in the Getz basin of Antarctica.
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They have found that 14 glaciers in this region are thinning by an average of 25% between 1994 and 2018 due to climate change.
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They also found that 315 giga tonnes of ice were lost from the region in the last 25 years.
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Hence, they were naming these glaciers after cities will be a symbol of what is at stake and is also a great way to celebrate the international collaboration on climate change science and policy over the last 42 years.