Climate Swiss glaciers melted significantly again in 2024
Swiss glaciers lost around 2.5% of their volume in 2024. Despite the snowy winter, the glaciers have thus melted at an above-average rate. With a volume of 1.2 cubic kilometers, the melted ice corresponds to that of Lake Biel.
01.10.2024, 09:00
SDA
The retreat of the glacier tongues and their disintegration thus continued unabated, according to the Swiss Commission for Cryosphere Observation (SKK) of the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) on Tuesday.
After the large amounts of snow at high altitudes in winter and the cool and rainy spring, researchers had long hoped for a breather for the glaciers, said Matthias Huss, head of the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (Glamos), to the Keystone-SDA news agency.
However, the hot summer months of July and August took their toll on the glaciers. In addition, Saharan dust, which colored the snow surface, accelerated the melting. In August 2024, glaciers in Switzerland lost ice faster than ever before since measurements began.
