The glaciers covering the ridge of Turkey's highest point - Mount Ararat in the eastern part of the country (5,137 meters) - have tripled in size over the past century due to global warming, and experts warn of an increasing risk of landslides and ice sheet collapses, Turkish media reported, quoted by BTA.
According to research by Professor Faruk Kaya from the Faculty of Geography of the “Ibrahim Chechen“ University in Ağrı - a city at the foot of the mountain, cited by the “Haber Turk“ news website, the area of the ice cap on the summit has decreased from approximately 15 square kilometers at the beginning of the 20th century to only about 5 square kilometers today. These data are also confirmed by satellite observations.
“In the past, the tails of glacial flows descended to 3,600 meters above sea level, while today the ice line has retreated to nearly 4,900 meters“, Professor Kaya told the publication.
The expert notes that the breaking off of large ice and rock masses is not a new phenomenon for the region. He recalls that in 1840, a massive glacier collapse on Mount Ararat led to the destruction of an entire village and numerous victims, and similar smaller movements of land masses were subsequently recorded in 1921 and 1926.
The reason for the new warnings is also the recent similar natural disasters in other parts of the world, including in the Himalayas, where glacier collapses caused fatal floods, recalls “Haber Turk“.
The scientist calls for the introduction of round-the-clock satellite monitoring of the glaciers of Ararat, as well as other high-altitude massifs in Turkey such as Cilo and Kachkar. According to him, it is necessary to prepare timely risk analyses and prepare for evacuation in settlements located in riverbeds and on the slopes of the valleys around the mountain, the publication quotes his opinion.