Glaciers, in polar or high mountain regions, refer to natural ice masses that persist for years and exhibit movement along the surface of the Earth.

Glaciers are massive bodies of ice that form from the compaction and recrystallization of snow, undergoing several transformation stages. To form glaciers, there must first be a certain amount of solid precipitation, including snow, fog, hail, etc.

Without an adequate amount of solid precipitation as the "raw material," it is impossible to form glaciers.

In mountainous areas, glaciers develop under specific conditions. Apart from requiring a certain altitude, the mountains should not be too steep. If the peaks are too steep, the snow will slide downhill, preventing the accumulation necessary for glacier formation. When snow falls to the ground, it changes. Over time, snowflakes transform into rounded pellets called granular snow, which serves as the "raw material" for glaciers.

As granular snow accumulates, its hardness and density increase over time. The compacted granular snow compresses together, reducing pores until they disappear entirely.

The brightness and transparency of snow layers gradually diminish, and some air becomes trapped inside, forming glacier ice. This process of granular snow transformation and compaction occurs rapidly near the melting point temperature and slowly at subfreezing temperatures. Initially, glacier ice appears milky white, but over time, it becomes denser, harder, and increasingly translucent, resembling crystalline blue ice.

Glaciers are primarily distributed in Earth's polar regions and high mountainous areas at middle to low latitudes. Glaciers cover approximately 16 million square kilometers globally, accounting for about 11% of the Earth's land area. Nearly 97% of the glacier area and 99% of the glacier volume are concentrated in the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets.

Mountain glaciers are most developed in central Asia, with the Karakoram Range covering 37% of its area, and six major glaciers exceeding 50 kilometers in length in the Kashmir region.

However, since 1980, the average thickness of glaciers worldwide has decreased by about 11.5 meters.

The United Nations Environment Programme stated that the melting rate of glaciers worldwide has reached a historic high, primarily due to global climate change. Researchers point out that since glaciers are vital freshwater resources, rapid glacier melting can lead to freshwater crises in some regions, potentially sparking conflicts over water resources in water-scarce areas.

Staff at the World Glacier Monitoring Service state that European mountain glaciers have experienced the most severe losses, including the Alps, Pyrenees, and Nordic mountains. Kenya's glaciers have lost 92% of their mass, and Spain, which had 27 glaciers in 1980, now only has 13. Over the past century, the Alps have lost half of their glacier volume.

Since the summer of 2003, a heatwave has swept across Europe, with temperatures nearing or exceeding historical records in various countries. In Switzerland, the temperature at the summit of the 3,900-meter-high Piz Palü reached 5°C, resulting in glacier thickness dropping to its lowest point in nearly 150 years.

At this critical moment when glaciers globally face severe melting, we must recognize the immense impact of climate change on Earth. Glaciers are not only a part of natural landscapes but also an indispensable component of the Earth's ecosystem. With glaciers melting, we face freshwater shortages, ecological imbalances, and potential geopolitical tensions.

Therefore, protecting the environment, mitigating climate change, and adopting sustainable lifestyles have become increasingly urgent. Each of us should strive towards this goal to leave a better legacy for the future of our planet.