Glaciers, ice and snow are shrinking at an accelerated rate on the Iberian Peninsula
PRESS RELEASE
Over the last decade, glaciers in Spain have experienced an accelerated retreat, with a significant loss of extension and thickness. This process has reduced their number and has generated processes typical of the final stages before they disappear. Cities, where more than 81% of the population lives, are experiencing an unprecedented rise in temperatures, driven by climate change and aggravated by the urban heat island effect. This trend intensifies heatwaves, with direct impacts on citizens’ health and quality of life.
These are some conclusions of the CLIVAR-Spain report, a scientific publication coordinated by a committee led by Professor Isabel Cacho, from the Faculty of Earth Sciences of the University of Barcelona, and Gabriel Jordà, from the Spanish Institute of Oceanography in Mallorca (COB-IEO).
The report, which was presented on 13 March at the headquarters of the Biodiversity Foundation, provides a detailed overview of climate impacts and risks on terrestrial and marine ecosystems in Spain, complementing the conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The State-Secretary for the Environment, Hugo Morán; the Director General of the Spanish Climate Change Office, Elena Pita; the President of the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), María José Rallo, and the coordinators of the CLIVAR-España committee, Gabriel Jordà and Isabel Cacho, participated in the presentation, along with several authors of the report.
Over the last decade, glaciers in Spain have experienced an accelerated retreat, with a significant loss of extension and thickness. This process has reduced their number and has generated processes typical of the final stages before they disappear. Cities, where more than 81% of the population lives, are experiencing an unprecedented rise in temperatures, driven by climate change and aggravated by the urban heat island effect. This trend intensifies heatwaves, with direct impacts on citizens’ health and quality of life.
These are some conclusions of the CLIVAR-Spain report, a scientific publication coordinated by a committee led by Professor Isabel Cacho, from the Faculty of Earth Sciences of the University of Barcelona, and Gabriel Jordà, from the Spanish Institute of Oceanography in Mallorca (COB-IEO).
The report, which was presented on 13 March at the headquarters of the Biodiversity Foundation, provides a detailed overview of climate impacts and risks on terrestrial and marine ecosystems in Spain, complementing the conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The State-Secretary for the Environment, Hugo Morán; the Director General of the Spanish Climate Change Office, Elena Pita; the President of the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), María José Rallo, and the coordinators of the CLIVAR-España committee, Gabriel Jordà and Isabel Cacho, participated in the presentation, along with several authors of the report.
Spanish glaciers have experienced a rapid retreat in the last decade, with a notable loss of its area and thickness. Thus, the number of glaciers has decreased significantly and new evolutionary processes typical of the final phases before they disappear definitively have emerged.
Permafrost — the permanently frozen ground — is disappearing in the Sierra Nevada and shows clear signs of warming in the Pyrenees, accelerating instability phenomena such as rockfalls and avalanches. This situation is a risk to mountaineers and hikers in the higher massifs and highlights the need to develop specific guidelines to mitigate the dangers. In addition, long-term records reveal a decrease in the duration of snow cover and its maximum accumulation in the Iberian Peninsula, putting at risk water resources that depend on snowmelt in mountain areas.
Also at risk are the palaeoenvironmental archives stored in the ice caves of the Pyrenees and Picos de Europa, which contain valuable climatic information from the last millennia. The reduction of ice in these caves is directly related to the increase in winter temperatures and the reduction of precipitation.
Ocean waters are warming at a faster rate than the global one
The Mediterranean is also one of the most affected regions by climate change, with a warming rate two to three times faster than the global warming rate since the 1980s. This phenomenon is causing an increase in the frequency and intensity of marine heat waves, as well as increased salinization of surface waters. A warmer Mediterranean intensifies convective events and extreme precipitation — especially in autumn — which could increase the risk of severe weather events.
Climate challenges and emerging risks
The report shows a sustained decrease in relative humidity in the Iberian Peninsula, a phenomenon that adds to the increase in oceanic evaporation and accentuates episodes of drought and desertification, particularly in southern Europe. In this context, studies point to increased aridity in large parts of the country, with a progressive reduction in water resources and increasing exposure to extreme weather events.
At the same time, aridity and drought severity in the southern Iberian Peninsula are projected to continue to worsen. The combination of higher temperatures, reduced water availability and increased evaporative demand will reinforce this process and increase the vulnerability of ecosystems and agricultural activity.
The CLIVAR-España committee, responsible for the report, is part of an international initiative aimed at improving the understanding of climate change and its effects. Since its creation in 2004, it has established itself as a benchmark in climate research in Spain and has coordinated studies on climate variability, changes in the atmosphere and ocean, and future projections. Since its creation, the CLIVAR committee has issued three reports (2006, 2010 and 2017) and an executive report (2019) on the state-of-the-art information on climate in Spain, compiling its main advances. It also forms a large network of scientists dedicated to improving the understanding of climate change and its effects.
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Presentation of the CLIVAR-Spain report
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