Glaciers in Switzerland are shrinking rapidly and lost 5% of their ice in 2026, according to data from the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (GLAMOS), and the Cryosphere Observation Committee of the Swiss Academy of Sciences.
The findings underscore the accelerating rate of glacier retreat as years of extreme melting have become a common occurrence. Over the past five years, Swiss glaciers have lost nearly one-fifth of their ice, the report showed, threatening future water supplies and raising questions about the long-term survival of Europe’s ice fields.
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The combination of a winter with very little snow and record-breaking temperatures in the summer has led to what experts call “massive” melting.
“We’re seeing extreme years almost every year now, and this is truly an alarming situation,” said Matthias Huss, director of GLAMOS.
However, the rate of ice loss has not yet reached the record highs of 2022, when dust clouds from North Africa settled on the snow and accelerated the melting, Huss explained.
Switzerland’s largest glacier, the Aletsch Glacier, experienced the most significant melt this year, while the Tsanfleuron Glacier lost more than four meters (13 feet) of average thickness. Huss said that this would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
In total, scientists estimate that Swiss glaciers lost approximately 2.2 trillion liters of water between July and September alone, which is equivalent to more than four times the annual drinking water consumption of Swiss households.
This has a positive side effect, as the melting of the glaciers helps alleviate water shortages in the summer.
However, as ice-covered areas shrink and glaciers become smaller, this benefit is diminishing, experts say.
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Source: KYPE
