Dozens of Swiss glaciers likely to disappear this summer
The hot summer is taking its toll on Switzerland’s glaciers. Glaciologist Matthias Huss expects this to be one of the years with the most melting since records began – and anticipates that dozens of small glaciers will disappear completely.
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Dozens of Swiss glaciers likely to disappear this summer
“We are on course for the second-most severe glacier melt we have ever recorded,” glaciologist Matthias Huss told the Keystone-SDA news agency.
+ Glaciers of the world – local melting and global impactsExternal link
Small glaciers are particularly vulnerable to this situation. “I expect many small glaciers to disappear this year,” says Huss. It is currently difficult to put an exact figure on this. He estimates that around 20 to 30 glaciers could see their remaining ice disappear completely.
But the situation is also critical for Switzerland’s large glaciers. Two unfortunate factors have combined and are key to severe melting: the glaciers emerged from winter with little snow, and intense heat set in early in the summer.
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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
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