Glaciers in the Himalayas are threatened by global warming and most of them could melt within 40 years, perhaps causing catastrophic floods in areas inhabited by millions, according to a report published in today’s issue of New Scientist magazine. The study authors, scientists at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, say the glaciers in the Himalayas are retreating faster than any others on Earth. In separate research published in today’s issue of the journal Nature, NASA scientists found that global warming has speeded up the jet stream, which moves masses of air from west to east, causing average winter temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere to rise 9 degrees Fahrenheit in the last 30 years. These rising temperatures are expected to generate numerous storms across western North America and western Europe.
