In the Alps, climate change is turning glaciers into lakes
- 2 years ago
As temperatures continue to rise, climate change is turning glaciers into lakes. In the Alps, glacial lake outbursts are no longer a distant threat but a reality.
In a recent study, Swiss scientists identified more than 1,200 glacial lakes which have formed in the Swiss Alps since the 1850s.For Daniel Odermatt, a researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, there is no doubt that global warming is to blame.“These lakes are evidence of the changing climate,” he says.Daniel and his team have created a unique inventory of lakes in the Swiss Alps, monitoring how they have evolved over the years to determine if they could pose a flood risk to local communities.“Lakes can be damned either by rocks or by ice. And ice is the least stable because it can melt and disappear, leading to a lake outburst,” he explains.Glacial lake outbursts, a real threat Stephan Lempen, the town councillor of Lenk im Simmental, has vivid memories of the day the Faverges Lake suddenly burst open.“A huge amount of water flooded our village. It happened so fast. People had to be evacuated,” he recalls.They have since built an artificial draining channel to prevent another lake outburst. “We are doing our best to manage it, but nature remains unpredictable.”The Swiss Alps on the front line2020 was the warmest year ever recorded in the Swiss Alps. At this rate, scientists predict that around two-thirds of the mountains’ ice volume will be lost by the end of the century.Efforts are now underway to slow the melting of the ice. Cooling blankets have been installed at the Rhone Glacier to insulate the ice from warmer temperatures.“This is actually very efficient. Beneath these blankets, melting has decreased by 50 - 60%,” says Matthias Huss,... Go on reading on our web site.
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In a recent study, Swiss scientists identified more than 1,200 glacial lakes which have formed in the Swiss Alps since the 1850s.For Daniel Odermatt, a researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, there is no doubt that global warming is to blame.“These lakes are evidence of the changing climate,” he says.Daniel and his team have created a unique inventory of lakes in the Swiss Alps, monitoring how they have evolved over the years to determine if they could pose a flood risk to local communities.“Lakes can be damned either by rocks or by ice. And ice is the least stable because it can melt and disappear, leading to a lake outburst,” he explains.Glacial lake outbursts, a real threat Stephan Lempen, the town councillor of Lenk im Simmental, has vivid memories of the day the Faverges Lake suddenly burst open.“A huge amount of water flooded our village. It happened so fast. People had to be evacuated,” he recalls.They have since built an artificial draining channel to prevent another lake outburst. “We are doing our best to manage it, but nature remains unpredictable.”The Swiss Alps on the front line2020 was the warmest year ever recorded in the Swiss Alps. At this rate, scientists predict that around two-thirds of the mountains’ ice volume will be lost by the end of the century.Efforts are now underway to slow the melting of the ice. Cooling blankets have been installed at the Rhone Glacier to insulate the ice from warmer temperatures.“This is actually very efficient. Beneath these blankets, melting has decreased by 50 - 60%,” says Matthias Huss,... Go on reading on our web site.
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