May 8, 2009 -- Global warming is shrinking Europe's alpine glaciers with such dramatic acceleration that Italy and Switzerland must now redraw their mountain borders, says a proposed law approved by the lower house of the Italian parliament at the end of April. See video of Earth's shrinking glaciers. Running for 463 miles, mostly along the arc of the Alps, the demarcation line between Italy and Switzerland has been fixed since 1861, when Italy became a unified state. In 1941, a convention between the two countries defined as criteria for border demarcation the ridge crest of the glaciers. Since then, the border has been occasionally modified, with the biggest change occurring in the 1970s when the Switzerland-Italy highway was built. More radical changes are needed now, according to the Italian Military Geographic Institute and Switzerland's Office of Topography. Experts from both countries concluded that the surface of area of the "cryosphere," the ice-covered zone of glaciers, snow cover and permafrost, has been shrinking dramatically for the past five years. Related Content:
Measurements taken at the Alps' Monte Rosa massif, which features nine glaciers, showed that glacier melting has moved the border a few feet in some areas and hundreds of feet in others. "In one case, in the heart of the ski area of Zermatt, at Furggsattel, the border has shifted from 100 to 150 meters [328 to 492 feet], over a length of about one kilometer [0.6 miles]," Daniel Gutknecht, responsible for the coordination of national borders at Switzerland's Office of Topography, told Discovery News. Both countries are ready to acknowledge the radical influence of climate change on their borders. But while in Switzerland no new law is required to make the changes, Italy requires border changes to be ratified by law. Since the affected demarcation line runs through uninhabited peaks 13,000 feet above sea level, the measure would not force changes in citizenship. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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