Navigation auf uzh.ch
Navigation auf uzh.ch
After the extreme circumstances encountered in 2022 and 2023, no relief is in sight for Swiss glaciers. Despite exceptionally large volumes of snow during the winter, a combination of temperatures in July and August that at times reached record levels and dust from the Sahara resulted in a loss of 2.5% of the glacier volume.
When it comes to glaciers, the year 2024 was notable for marked contrasts. Swiss glaciers enjoyed extremely favourable conditions up to and into June, thanks to 30% more winter snow than the average and an early summer marked by rainfall. However, the dust from the Sahara – which covered the surface of the snow – accelerated the melting process, and August saw the greatest loss of ice recorded since measurements began. Overall, the glaciers also experienced melting of a striking degree in 2024, as illustrated by data recorded by the Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS) network.
Read the full press release
Swiss Commission for Cryosphere Observation of the Swiss Academy of Sciences, 01.10.2024c
Auf den Rekordschnee im Frühjahr folgte die Rekordschmelze
SRF News, 01.10.2024
Schweiz: Die Gletscher gehen weiter zurück
SRF, 10 vor 10, 01.10.2024
Forscher dachten, viel Schnee schütze die Gletscher – dieser Sommer ist der Gegenbeweis
Tagesanzeiger, 01.10.2024
Title image: A measurement team on the Findel Glacier (Valais). © Andreas Linsbauer
