Turkey's 20,000-year-old glaciers are melting
As the 20,000-year-old glaciers located in the valley between the Hakkari city center and the Yüksekova district slowly melt, nature enthusiasts are calling for urgent measures to be taken.
İHA
Due to climate changes caused by global warming both worldwide and in Turkey, the 20,000-year-old Cilo glaciers located on the Hakkari-Yüksekova border are gradually shrinking.
The Yüksekova Cilo Nature Lovers Sports Club set out for the Cennet and Cehennem valleys with a group of 30 people at the first light of dawn. After having breakfast in the valley, the nature enthusiasts examined the 20,000-year-old glaciers on-site.
Stating that the 20,000-year-old glaciers in the Cilo Mountains continue to melt day by day due to global and climate changes and that urgent measures must be taken, Yüksekova Cilo Nature Lovers Sports Club President Çetin Yorgun said, “As we do every week, we are touring Hakkari and its districts this week as well.
Our route this week was the Cennet and Cehennem valleys located in the Cilo Mountains. We toured the region with a group of 30 people, but what saddened us was the melting of the 20,000-year-old glaciers. Urgent measures must be taken against this. Because they are on the verge of disappearing completely,” he said.
Geography teacher Kenan Canan stated that serious measures should be taken, saying, “The Cilo glaciers are known as one of Turkey's largest and most important glacial areas. Prof. Dr. Sırrı Erinç, one of the names who made great contributions to the history of glacial research in Turkey, reported the thickness of the glaciers as approximately 100 meters in the first scientific studies he conducted in the region in 1948.
However, with the effect of climate change and global warming, research conducted by 2020 shows that this thickness has dropped to 50-60 meters. The measurements taken also reveal the dramatic decline in the glacial area. While the Cilo glaciers covered an area of approximately 8.5 square kilometers in 1948, this area had shrunk to 7.2 square kilometers by 1980. As of 2020, this area has dropped to 4.8 square kilometers.
These data show that the glaciers are shrinking by an average of 1-2 percent each year. Prof. Dr. Sırrı Erinç's observations prove how vulnerable the region is to climate change and that glacial melting is continuing at an accelerating pace.
The Cilo glaciers are of critical importance not only for nature tourism but also for the sustainability of freshwater resources in the region. The melting of the glaciers is directly related to drought and the decrease in freshwater resources in the region.
Current observations made at the Gelyano Glacial Lake at an altitude of 3,050 meters reveal important glacial processes such as cracks in the glaciers, glacial scratches from the pre-melting period, and polished rock marks. These scientific data once again emphasize that urgent measures must be taken to protect the Cilo glaciers and combat climate change. Serious measures must be taken for this so that we can leave a beautiful legacy for future generations,” he said.