The short version
- Glacier cover on Puncak Jaya has shrunk from nearly 1,900 hectares in the 19th century to approximately 16 hectares today.
- Scientists warn that the remaining snow patches are expected to disappear completely within the next two years due to rising global temperatures.
- The loss represents a significant blow to both climate science, which relies on ice cores for historical data, and Indigenous cultures that view the peaks as spiritual centers.
The tropical glaciers of Papua, Indonesia, are approaching total extinction. Located just north of Australia and near the equator, the Sudirman Range has hosted permanent ice for centuries. However, recent assessments indicate that only small patches of snow remain on Puncak Jaya, also known as Carstensz Pyramid. Experts project these final remnants will vanish entirely within a year or two, marking the end of an era for the region’s cryosphere.
The scale of this retreat is stark. In the 19th century, glacier cover around the peak spanned nearly 1,900 hectares. Today, that area has contracted to roughly 16 hectares. A century ago, all four major peaks in the 300-kilometer range featured snow and permanent ice. Now, almost entire glaciers have disappeared within a single human lifetime. This rapid decline underscores the vulnerability of high-altitude ice even in regions far from the polar caps.
Marie Šabacká, a glacier ecologist from the Czech Republic, recently traveled to Puncak Jaya to study what she describes as the last remaining tropical ice between the Andes and the Himalayas. She notes that these glaciers are unique because they are isolated by thousands of kilometers from other major ice systems. Their disappearance removes a critical biological habitat and eliminates a natural archive that scientists have relied upon to understand Earth’s climate history.
Ice cores extracted from Puncak Jaya’s slopes provide valuable data on atmospheric conditions in the region. They help researchers track changes in the planet’s warmest ocean waters, including the tropical Pacific and the Western Pacific Warm Pool. With the ice melting before it can be fully studied, scientists are losing access to a long-term record of environmental shifts. This loss limits the ability to reconstruct past climate patterns and predict future trends in one of the world’s most climatically sensitive zones.
The primary driver of this retreat is human-induced warming, particularly from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas. As global temperatures rise, the freezing point on mountains moves higher. Consequently, precipitation that once fell as snow now falls as rain, even in areas that historically experienced regular snowfall. El Niño events can accelerate this process, while local factors like cloud cover, topography, and snowfall patterns influence the specific pace of melting.
For Indigenous Papuans, the vanishing ice carries profound cultural weight. At least five groups maintain deep spiritual ties to Puncak Jaya. The Moni people call it Mbainggela, believing their ancestors watch over the mountain. The Amungme people refer to it as Nemangkawi, or the White Arrow, a symbol of honesty, purity, and moral integrity. Elders have long prayed that children would possess hearts like the White Arrow, never straying from the proper path.
Adolfina Kum, an Amungme environmental activist, compares the destruction of Nemangkawi to the loss of Mecca for Muslims or the Vatican for Catholics. She argues that the melting ice shatters cultural foundations and traditions that have sustained her people for generations. The mountain is not merely a physical landmark but a central pillar of their spiritual universe. Its disappearance represents an irreversible erosion of identity and heritage.
The region’s landscape has also been reshaped by industrial extraction. Vast deposits of copper and gold discovered in the 20th century led to the development of major mining operations, including the Grasberg mine operated by Freeport. While these projects have brought jobs, roads, and education opportunities, they have also caused environmental degradation and social conflict. Many Indigenous people have lost access to ancestral lands as mining expanded, compounding the distress caused by climate change.
The convergence of industrial activity and climatic shifts presents a complex challenge for Papua’s future. The mountains sit just 450 kilometers south of the equator, where permanent ice can only survive at very high altitudes under narrow climatic conditions. Small temperature increases or shifts in precipitation patterns can determine whether any glacier remains. As the ice disappears, it leaves behind a transformed landscape and a diminished capacity to study Earth’s environmental history.
Efforts to document the remaining ice are urgent but limited by time. Scientists like Šabacká aim to collect samples before the glaciers vanish completely. However, the rapid pace of melting means that much of the data may be lost forever. The situation highlights the broader impacts of global warming on remote ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. Without significant changes in emissions, similar losses are likely to occur in other vulnerable regions around the world.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- BBC Science & Environment↗The treasured 'eternal snow' on this tropical island is about to disappear forever
