Swiss glaciers lost 10% volume in two years, small ones endangered

Switzerland’s glaciers experienced the second-largest rate of melting this year after significant loss in 2022, resulting in a 10% reduction in overall volume over the past two years. In 2022, Swiss glaciers lost 6% of their total volume, and this year, they saw an additional 4% decrease. The Cryospheric Commission of the Swiss Academy of Sciences conducted a study revealing this situation, which represents the second-largest decline in glacier volume since measurements began. The study also cautioned that the situation may continue to deteriorate in the coming years, noting a rapidly increasing rate of glacier melting. It pointed out that the acceleration was dramatic, with as much ice lost in just two years as was the case between 1960 and 1990. This ongoing loss had led to collapsing glacier tongues and the potential disappearance of smaller glaciers. According to Matthias Huss, head of Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS), “All glaciers melted a lot.”