Jakarta, IO – The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said the condition of “everlasting snow” at Puncak Jayawijaya, Papua, continues to melt due to the impact of climate change. This is feared to cause the surrounding ecosystem to become vulnerable and threatened.
BMKG Head Dwikorita Karnawati revealed that the El Nino phenomenon that occurred this year can potentially accelerate the disappearance of the snowy top in Puncak Jaya.
“Climate change also has an impact on the lives of local indigenous people who depend on the balance of the environment and natural resources in the region,” she said on Wednesday (23/8).
Dwikorita explained that the ice cap landscape in a tropical country has attracted the attention of scientists, researchers and nature lovers. But in recent decades, there has been a drastic reduction in snow-covered area.
Since 2010, BMKG has collaborated with Ohio State University to conduct studies related to paleo-climatological analysis based on ice cores in the Puncak Jaya glacier. The result shows that the ice cover in Puncak Jaya has melted drastically.
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In 2010, the thickness was estimated to be 32 meters with an ice loss rate of 1 meter per year from 2010-15. When there was a strong El Nino in 2015-16, the rate reached 5 meters per year.
Meanwhile, the research head Donaldi Sukma Permana added that in the 2016-22 period, the rate of ice loss was around 2.5 meters per year. The area of ice cover in the eternal snow is about 0.23 square kilometers and has continued to melt.
“Another real consequence is the sea level rise,” he said. (at)