In photos: Hundreds mourn Swiss glacier's loss to global warming

People take part in a ceremony to mark the "death" of the Pizol glacier (Pizolgletscher) above Mels, eastern Switzerland, Sunday. All photos: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

Hundreds of people attended a memorial service Sunday to mark the loss of Pizol glacier in the eastern Swiss Alps to global warming, NPR reports.

Why it matters: ETH Zurich university glacier specialist Matthias Huss told CNN that Pizol had "disappeared" after losing 80-90% of its volume since 2006. An April study by European researchers warns that from 2017 to 2050, about 50% of glacier volume in the Alps will vanish, "largely independently of how much we cut our greenhouse gas emissions."

The memorial took place as world leaders gathered in New York City for the UN climate summit this week.
An organizer of the "funeral march" tells CNN what's happening at Pizol is a "warning sign" about "what is going to happen if we don't change something about our behavior."
The April study determined that more than 90% of Alpine glaciers will disappear by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions are left unchecked.

After 2050, "the future evolution of glaciers will strongly depend on how the climate will evolve," the study says.

Go deeper:

Go deeper

Rebecca Falconer, Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath
Updated 10 mins ago - Science

Hurricane Zeta makes landfall on Louisiana coast as Category 2 storm

A satellite image of Hurricane Zeta. Photo: National Hurricane Center/NOAA

Hurricane Zeta made landfall along the southeastern coast of Louisiana as a Category 2 storm on Wednesday, bringing with it "life-threatening storm surge and strong winds," per the National Hurricane Center.

What's happening: The hurricane was producing maximum sustained winds of nearly 110 mph and stronger gusts.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Politics: Biden ahead in Wisconsin, Michigan as cases surge in the Midwest.
  2. Health: Surge "is real" and not just caused by more tests, Trump's testing czar says — Mask mandates help control rise in hospitalizations — Some coronavirus survivors have "autoantibodies."
  3. Business: Surge is sinking consumer confidence — Testing is a windfall.
  4. World: Europe faces "stronger and deadlier" coronavirus wave — France imposes lockdown as Macron warns of overwhelming second COVID wave — Germany to close bars and restaurants for a month.
  5. Sports: Boston Marathon delayed as COVID-19 surges — MLB to investigate Dodgers player who joined celebration after positive COVID test.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Bryan Walsh, Alison Snyder
2 hours ago - Science

What the 2020 election means for science

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

The 2020 presidential election presents two stark paths for the direction of future-focused scientific research.

Why it matters: Science is a long game, with today's breakthroughs often stemming from research carried out decades ago, often with government help. That means the person who occupies the White House over the next four years will help shape the state of technology for decades into the future.

Go deeper (3 min. read)Arrow