Independent: They are one of the most visible icons of the cryosphere, the cold parts of the world where temperatures fall below the freezing point of water, a natural tipping point that profoundly changes the environment.
And yet, only as a result of the long-term monitoring of mountain glaciers did it become apparent that they were disappearing such is the glacial pace of glacier melting.
Around the world, from South America to Central Asia, mountain glaciers are melting faster than they are forming....