Which do you want first?
Let’s start with the bad news.
Glaciologists warn that climate change is causing Swiss glaciers to melt faster. This year, the snow and ice formed last winter have already melted, and all further melting will cause the Alps to shrink, according to Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS).
The “glacier loss day” typically occurs in September or October for a healthy glacier. As GLAMOS chief Matthias Huss explained, the glacier loss day occurs on the date when the glacier melts beyond the new winter snow and ice; without this happening, the glacier is considered to be in equilibrium with the climate. But this century, the Swiss Alps have been reaching this annual tipping point in mid-August. This year, it arrived on July 4—several weeks earlier than average—which Huss called an alarming development.
Further melting is expected this summer. “Moving this day forward by five to six weeks before the normal date over the last 20 years means we’re just prolonging this mass loss season dramatically,” Huss told AFP.
Only once has this day come earlier: June 26, 2022. Scientists considered that date an outlier and did not expect to see another loss day so soon after. “That was really a game-changer for us glaciologists because it was the first year when we saw absolutely extreme melting. Everything that we knew before about glacier melting changed,” he said.
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The Swiss Alps began retreating 170 years ago, but the loss has accelerated in recent years due to climate change. The 1,400 glaciers in Switzerland have shrunk to less than half their size in the last 85 years, and it is predicted that by the end of this century, they will shrink to just 5% of their current size, according to the World Metreological Association.
This may be a particularly bad year for the Swiss Alps because of the recent heatwaves and rising temperatures. Earlier in May, the mountain village of Blatten was partially destroyed when a chunk of glacier crumbled and buried the village under mud and ice. The avalanche caused a loud boom, and an earthquake of 3.1 magnitude was observed. The village had been evacuated after experts grew concerned about the stability of the mountain, but 300 people lost their homes after the glacier plummeted into the valley. With continued thawing and melting, more alpine villages and towns face risks from floods and landslides.
And Now the Good News
There is also some good news from the Swiss Alps. In a heartwarming story, a Chihuahua saved its owner after the hiker fell into a glacier crevasse, finding himself 26 feet deep in a hole. The unnamed hiker used a walkie-talkie to alert rescue services, but bad weather made it difficult for them to locate him. The hole was not clearly visible, making the rescue challenging when the helicopter reached the area. However, the little dog perched next to the hole helped rescuers find the site. They abseiled down and saved the hiker, thanks to the help of the Chihuahua.
You can see photos of the Chihuahua here.
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