Swiss Glaciers Lose 10% Volume in Two Years

September 29, 2023

Switzerland’s picturesque glaciers are facing an alarming crisis, with figures released on Thursday revealing that they have lost a staggering ten per cent of their ice volume over a mere two-year period. This dramatic loss is attributed to a combination of factors, including low snowfall and soaring temperatures, culminating in unprecedented melting.

Record Melting in 2023

According to data from the Swiss Commission for Cryosphere Observation of the Swiss Academy of Sciences, Swiss glaciers experienced a four per cent loss of their total volume in 2023. This level of melting is second only to the record set in 2022 when six per cent of glaciers were lost. Astonishingly, Swiss glaciers have lost as much ice in these two years as they did over the entire three decades between 1960 and 1990.

Dramatic Consequences

The repercussions of these two extreme years have been dire, with glacier tongues collapsing and many small glaciers in Switzerland disappearing entirely. For instance, the St. Annafirn glacier in the Uri canton has shrunk to the point where monitoring has ceased.

High-Altitude Ice Loss

The crisis extends to high-altitude regions that typically do not experience such dramatic declines. GLAMOS reported ice loss of several meters in southern Valais and the Engadin Valley, occurring at altitudes exceeding 3,200 meters (10,500 feet).

Snowfall Deficits and Soaring Temperatures

The root causes of this glacier crisis are attributed to a winter with extremely low snowfall, particularly during the second half of February when snow levels reached a record low, amounting to just 30 per cent of the long-term average. Subsequently, a summer characterized by exceptionally high temperatures accelerated the melting process, with snow disappearing two to four weeks earlier than usual in a scorching June.

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