Swiss glaciers have lost around 2.5% of their volume so far this year. The volume lost has reached 1.2 cubic kilometres, the equivalent of Lake Biel in Switzerland.
Despite a very snowy winter 2023/2024, glaciers melted at an above-average rate. The glacier retreat continues unabated, reported the Swiss Commission for the Observation of the Cryosphere (CSC) of the Swiss Academy of Natural Sciences (SCNAT) on Tuesday.
After the large quantities of snow that fell at high altitudes in winter and the cool, rainy spring, scientists had long hoped for a respite for the glaciers, Matthias Huss, head of the Swiss Glaciological Survey Network (Glamos), told Keystone-ATS.
But the hot summer months gave the glaciers a hard time. In addition, dust from the Sahara, which colored the surface of the snow, accelerated melting.
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Glacier melt causes changes to Swiss-Italian border
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Switzerland has adapted its borders with Italy and France. The changes with Italy are linked to melting glaciers, while those with France concern a tram line and rivers in the Geneva region.
In August 2024, Swiss glaciers lost ice at an unprecedented rate since measurements began.
Translated from French by DeepL/mga
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