Rapid glacier retreat and downwasting throughout the European Alps in the early 21 century.

Mountain glaciers are known to be strongly affected by global climate change. Here we compute temporally consistent changes in glacier area, surface elevation and ice mass over the entire European Alps between 2000 and 2014. We apply remote sensing techniques on an extensive database of optical and radar imagery covering 93% of the total Alpine glacier volume.

Benthic meltwater fjord habitats formed by rapid glacier recession on King George Island, Antarctica.

The coasts of the West Antarctic Peninsula are strongly influenced by glacier meltwater discharge. The spatial structure and biogeochemical composition of inshore habitats are shaped by large quantities of terrigenous particulate material deposited in the vicinity of the coast, which impacts the pelagic and benthic ecosystems. We used a multitude of geochemical and environmental variables to identify the radius extension of the meltwater impact from the Fourcade Glacier into the fjord system of Potter Cove, King George Island.