Indonesia's Eternity Glaciers Lose 95% of Area Since 2002 as Extinction Nears by 2030
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 27
Indonesia's Eternity Glaciers Lose 95% of Area Since 2002 as Extinction Nears by 2030
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 27
Summary
A November expedition on Puncak Jaya found Indonesia’s largest remaining “eternity glacier” has shrunk 95% since 2002, leaving the last tropical ice in Oceania close to disappearance.
Researchers tie the collapse to human-driven warming—about 1.4C since preindustrial times—compounded by El Niño, which strongly affects the glaciers in one of Earth’s wettest regions.
Papua’s glaciers have already lost 97% of their ice mass since 1980, with four of six glaciers gone and the final two projected to vanish by the end of the decade.
Drone-based 3D mapping was used because cloud cover and rugged terrain limit satellite surveys, part of an effort to create a visual record before the ice disappears entirely.
The loss would erase Indonesia and Southeast Asia’s only tropical glacier, underscoring a broader global retreat that could strip glaciers of a quarter of their mass by 2100 even under best-case emissions cuts.
As 'eternity glaciers' vanish, what unforeseen chain reactions, from ocean life to dust storms, will this trigger for the planet?
A 'visual Noah's ark' preserves the glaciers' memory. What tangible legacy remains for a world that allowed them to vanish?
The world's largest gold mine sits beside Oceania's last glaciers. Is this a tragic irony or a direct cause and effect?
Indonesia’s Final Glaciers on Puncak Jaya: 97% Lost, Complete Disappearance Expected by 2030
Overview
Indonesia's last remaining glaciers, located on Puncak Jaya, are on the verge of disappearing as of May 2026. Their small size makes them especially vulnerable, and their rapid decline is a critical early warning for the global climate crisis. Recognizing the urgency, Project Pressure is working to document these glaciers before they vanish, with support from Trimble, which provides advanced GNSS mapping technology and funding. This documentation is vital for tracking glacial regression and understanding the changes, highlighting the importance of immediate action as these glaciers serve as indicators of broader environmental threats.