KILIMANJARO MAY BE SNOWLESS IN 20 YEARS ========================================
The snows of Kilimanjaro may disappear within the next two decades or sooner, predict researchers from Ohio State University and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The researchers are worried not only by the rapid retreat of the ice fields atop Kilimanjaro, but by the ice surface's thinning. They now believe that the volume of ice lost to thinning is equal to that lost by shrinkage, which is occurring on all sides of the famed Tanzanian mountain. "The loss of Mount Kilimanjaro's ice cover has attracted worldwide attention because of its impact on regional water resources," says David Verardo, director of the NSF's Paleoclimate Program. "Like many glaciers in mid-to-low latitudes, Kilimanjaro's may only be with us for a short time longer." SOURCE: National Science Foundation www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?org=NSF&cntn_id=115847&preview=false
Ref: Futurist Update December 2009
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