, June 13 -- Alaska's glaciers are highly vulnerable to rising temperatures, with new research showing that every 1 degree Celsius increase in average summer temperatures can extend glacier melting by about three weeks.

The study, published in the journal Nature, also found that advanced satellite radar technology can track glacier changes more accurately and consistently than traditional optical methods.

Led by researcher Albin Wells of Carnegie Mellon University, the study analysed data from nearly all Alaska glaciers larger than half a square mile between 2016 and 2024. Co-authors included David Rounce and Mark Fahnestock.

Using radar data from Europe's Sentinel-1 satellites, researchers measured the number of "melt days" experience...