For generations, the glaciated peaks of Sierra Nevada in the Venezuelan state of Mérida have been cherished as symbols of regional identity and sources of mythical lore. However, the once-proud crowns of these mountains, home to six glaciers, have vanished entirely.
The Humboldt Glacier, also known as La Corona, is the latest casualty. The International Climate and Cryosphere Initiative recently deemed it too diminutive to qualify as a glacier anymore. Venezuelan scientists had issued warnings of its drastic shrinkage as early as March.
This loss reverberates deeply in Mérida. Alejandra Melfo, an astrophysicist at the Universidad de los Andes, expressed profound sorrow: “Our tropical glaciers began to disappear since the ’70s, and their absence is felt. It is a great sadness.”
Venezuela once boasted six glaciers, but by 2011, five had vanished. The Humboldt Glacier, nestled near the country’s second-highest peak, Humboldt Peak, resisted until now. Its demise marks Venezuela as the first country in the Americas, and in modern history, to lose all its glaciers.
Glaciers form from centuries of accumulated snow in regions where temperatures hover near freezing. The Humboldt’s demise is attributed to relentless erosion. Despite its location at 4,800 meters, its endurance was considered a climatic anomaly.
The accelerating disappearance of glaciers worldwide is a stark reminder of the consequences of climate change. Glaciers act as vital regulators, and their loss contributes to rising sea levels. A 2023 study predicts that 83% of the world’s glaciers will vanish by 2100 if current warming trends persist.
While the Humboldt Glacier’s fate was inevitable due to natural cycles, human-induced global warming has undoubtedly hastened its demise. Venezuela’s glaciers, though not the first to vanish, leave a significant void, as they were concentrated in the Sierra Nevada, making Venezuela the first country in the region to lose its glaciers.