Glacier or Not? The Importance of Nuance in Definitions of Vanishing Glaciers

Allen Pope 

Glaciers provide critical ecosystem services, including water resources, biodiversity, cultural value, and climate signals. But what makes a glacier a glacier? Different definitions of what characterizes a glacier can conflict with each other. While a common scientific definition emphasizes "past or present flow," practical applications involve various criteria like minimum area, relative size, and observable ice flow or thickness. Increasingly, glacier inventories are applying multiple criteria, acknowledging the nuanced, continuous nature of glacier retreat rather than a simple binary transition. In the context of increasingly melting, shrinking, and vanishing glaciers, it is important to explore glacier definitions and their applications. Ultimately, the glacier definition applied depends on the specific context and purpose, highlighting the need for clear communication and localized expertise in considering glacier survival and loss.