The rate at which Switzerland’s glaciers are disappearing is accelerating, if this year’s early ‘tipping point’ date is an indicator. That’s the date when snow and ice from last winter is gone, and further melting eats away at previous accumulations.
This year’s tipping point, on July 4th, was the second-earliest in history; in recent years it has most often occurred in August. Even an August date is bad news for Switzerland’s 1,400 glaciers; in the past, a tipping date in October allowed the loss to be made up over the following winter; an even later date would have allowed glacial growth.
According to the Glacial Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS) observatory, the date is “another alarm call.” GLAMOS chief Matthias Huss told AFP that “It’s like the glaciers are shouting out: ‘we’re disappearing. Help us!'” Between 2000 and 2024, the volume of Swiss glaciers shrank by 38%.
The disappearance or shrinking of the glaciers is more than an academic exercise; they are the source of much of the water that flows in the Rhine and Rhone rivers, and provide water supply for millions of Europeans.
Photo by Tim Trad on Unsplash
