Can the Alps' Largest Glacier Be Saved?

Swiss scientists suggest the Aletsch Glacier, the largest in the Alps, can be partially preserved if global warming is limited to below two degrees Celsius. Despite inevitable ice loss, efforts to mitigate climate change could prevent complete disappearance and lessen the impact on rising sea levels.

Swiss scientists have sounded an urgent call, stating that the Aletsch Glacier, the largest in the Alps, might still be partially preserved if global temperatures can be curbed below two degrees Celsius. Despite this, the loss of significant ice mass is unavoidable.

Globally, glaciers are retreating at an unprecedented pace, with recent years marking the highest recorded glacial mass loss, as detailed in a UN report. The Aletsch Glacier, stretching 20 kilometers and weighing 10 billion tons, remains a prominent attraction for over a million visitors annually, offering views from the Jungfraujoch platform.

Matthias Huss from GLAMOS highlighted that without climate mitigation, this majestic ice river could vanish entirely, transforming into a vast, grey valley. However, limiting warming could preserve higher altitude glaciers longer, significantly reducing sea level rise, according to the Swiss Academy of Sciences.

(With inputs from agencies.)