Climate change "probably influenced" the Blatten landslide, according to researchers

A direct link between climate change and the collapse of the Birch Glacier has not yet been proven. Researchers at ETH Zurich state this in a new fact sheet. However, they believe it is likely that rising temperatures had an influence.

The direct linking of individual events with climate change is difficult and often speculative, write ETH and WSL glacier researchers Daniel Farinotti, Matthias Huss and Mylène Jacquemart in the fact sheet. This is intended to summarize the current state of knowledge from the perspective of glacier research.

Exposed glacier bedrock after the Birch Glacier broke off.

ZVG/ETH/D. Farinotti

"This event could certainly have occurred independently of climate change," says the fact sheet. However, rising global temperatures are indeed leading to drastic changes in high mountain regions. This leads to a higher availability of meltwater and more rain instead of snow at high altitudes.

All these changes have a negative impact on the general stability of permafrost-affected rock faces in the short and medium term. "In this respect, it seems likely that climate change played a role in this event."

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Parallels to other events

It is also noticeable that such events have occurred repeatedly at this altitude in recent years, Huss explained in response to an inquiry from the Keystone-SDA news agency.

The glacier collapse above Blatten therefore has certain parallels with the rockfall on Pizzo Cengalo in 2017, when around three million cubic meters of rock fell onto a small glacier, partially tearing it away and triggering a debris flow. This caused severe damage to the infrastructure in the village of Bondo. Eight people lost their lives.