List of glaciers in Switzerland

Last updated

This is a non-exhaustive list of the major glaciers in Switzerland. It contains their surface area, their lengths since the start of measurement and the most current year, their height and their outflow. Most of them are retreating and many will vanish. [1]

Contents

All of these glaciers are located within the Swiss Alps. Most of them are situated in the Pennine and Bernese Alps. The Jungfrau-Aletsch protected area includes the largest glaciers of the Alps.

There are glaciers in the four major drainage basins of Switzerland. The Rhine and Rhône basins are located on the northern side of the Alps while the Po basin is located on the south side of the Alps. The Danube basin is located on the east side of the Alps. There are no glaciers in the Swiss portion of the Adige basin.

There are approximately 1,800 glaciers in the Swiss Alps. [2]

List

Name Canton Range Area
1973 (km²) [3] 		Start of
measurement
(year) [3] 		Max length
(km) [3] 		1973
length
(km) [3] 		2016
length
(km) [3] 		Length change
(m) [3] 		Highest point in drainage basin [4] Altitude
(m)		Front alt.
(m)		OutflowBasin
Grand Aletsch VS Bernese Alps 86.63187025.623.9522.47-3132 Aletschhorn 4,1931,600 Massa Rhône
Gorner VS Pennine Alps 59.37188214.9913.5012.32-2672 Dufourspitze (Monte Rosa)4,6342,140Gornera Rhône
Fiesch VS Bernese Alps 34.21189115.9215.3514.51-1405 Finsteraarhorn 4,2731,700Wysswasser Rhône
Unteraar BE Bernese Alps 29.48187614.4112.9511.85-2561 Finsteraarhorn 4,2741,960 Aare Rhine
Lower Grindelwald BE Bernese Alps 20.8418799.468.305.95-3504 Mönch 4,1071,300Weisse Lütschine Rhine
Upper Aletsch VS Bernese Alps 22.81187010.289.058.82-1461 Aletschhorn 41932,140 Massa Rhône
Corbassière VS Pennine Alps 18.31188910.6410.159.47-1168 Grand Combin 4,3142,200Dyure de Corbassière Rhône
Rhone VS Urner Alps 17.6018799.098.007.65-1439 Dammastock 3,6302,200 Rhône Rhône
Otemma VS Pennine Alps 17.5118819.518.707.22-2291 Pigne d'Arolla 3,7902,450Dranse de Bagnes Rhône
Findel VS Pennine Alps 17.3618859.247.806.63-2618 Rimpfischhorn 4,1992,500Findelbach Rhône
Gauli BE Bernese Alps 17.7019586.716.555.4-1306 Bärglistock 3,6562,150Gaulisee/Ürbachwasser Rhine
Morteratsch GR Bernina Range 16.4018788.637.005.85-2784 Piz Bernina 40492,040Ova da Morteratsch Danube
Trift BE Urner Alps 16.5518617.65.753.66-3938West of Eggstock 3,4851,660 Triftwasser Rhine
Zmutt VS Pennine Alps 16.8918927.496.706.3-1182 Matterhorn 4,4782,240Zmuttbach Rhône
Zinal VS Pennine Alps 15.4218918.67.506.9-1700 Dent Blanche 4,3572,060Navisence Rhône
Hüfi Uri Glarus Alps 13.6418828.047.106.74-1300 Schärhorn 3,2951,800Chärstelenbach Rhine
Arolla VS Pennine Alps 13.1718566.234.804.34-1893 Pigne d'Arolla 3,7902,160Borgne d'Arolla Rhône
Mont Miné VS Pennine Alps 10.9719568.488.357.71-769 Bouquetins 3,8381,980Borgne de Ferpècle Rhône
Langgletscher VS Bernese Alps 10.0918887.236.906.45-780 Mittaghorn 3,8922,080 Lonza Rhône
Brenay VS Pennine Alps 9.9618816.325.954.92-1399 La Ruinette 3,8752,580Dyure du Brenay Rhône
Allalin VS Pennine Alps 9.8718817.076.505.91-1159 Rimpfischhorn 4,1992,600Saaser Vispa Rhône
Ferpècle VS Pennine Alps 9.7718917.696.606.23-1463 Dent Blanche 4,3572,160Borgne de Ferpècle Rhône
Upper Grindelwald BE Bernese Alps 9.5218796.966.654.02-2938North of Schreckhorn 3,7501,380Schwarze Lütschine Rhine
Rätzli / Plaine Morte BE/VS Bernese Alps 9.0919255.925.204.87-1048 Wildstrubel 3,2442,470Trüebbach, La Tièche Rhine, Rhône
Forno GR Bregaglia Alps 8.7218577.66.155.28-2324 Cima di Castello 3,3792,220Orlegna Po
Saleina VS Mont Blanc massif 8.5718787.046.455.95-1087 Aiguille d'Argentière 3,9011,760Reuse de Saleina Rhône
Roseg GR Bernina Range 8.5218556.714.902.42-4288 Piz Roseg 3,9372,160Ova da Roseg Danube
Fee Glacier VS Pennine Alps 7.4618835.895.004.57-1318 Dom 4,5452,100Feevispa Rhône
Palü GR Bernina Range 6.4718944.883.803.51-1366 Piz Palü 3,9012,580Acqua da Palü Po
Trient VS Mont Blanc massif 6.4018795.294.903.96-1328 Aiguille du Tour 3,5401,880Trient Rhône
Moming VS Pennine Alps 6.3918794.193.603.06-1134 Weisshorn 4,5062,500Navisence Rhône
Gries VS Lepontine Alps 6.2318477.845.704.88-2959 Blinnenhorn 3,3742,420Ägene Rhône
Tschierva GR Bernina Range 6.2019345.564.753.89-1665 Piz Bernina 4,0492,260Ova da Roseg Danube
Tschingel BE Bernese Alps 6.1918933.873.653.52-343 Tschingelhorn 3,5622,160Tschingel-Litschina Rhine
Rosenlaui BE Bernese Alps 6.1418805.35.155.15-151 Mittelhorn 3,7042,000Rosenlauibach Rhine
Damma UR Urner Alps 5.0919212.852.351.32-1525 Dammastock 3,6302,060Dammareuss Rhine
Wildstrubel VS Bernese Alps 4.8119172.832.652.29-535 Wildstrubel 3,2442,560Lämmerendalu Rhine
Tsanfleuron VS/VD Bernese Alps 3.8118844.913.703-1907 Oldenhorn 3,1232,460Le Lachon Rhône
Albigna GR Bregaglia Alps 3.5319064.883.703.49-1386 Cima di Castello 3,3792,200Albigna Po
Silvretta GR Silvretta Alps 3.3519563.423.303.03-390 Silvrettahorn 3,2442,480Verstanclabach Rhine
Biferten GL Glarus Alps 2.8118834.554.404.19-360 Tödi 3,6141,960Bifertenbach Rhine
Basòdino TI Lepontine Alps 2.3118992.021.501.28-733 Basòdino 3,2722,500Bavona Po
Vadret Tiatscha (La Cudera) GR Silvretta Alps 2.0718503.442.051.64-1792East of Verstanclahorn 3,2202,680Lavinuoz Danube

Climate change

The effect of industrialisation is also shown by rising levels of CO2 emissions. Yearly CO2 Emissions from 1750 to 1900.png
The effect of industrialisation is also shown by rising levels of CO2 emissions.

There has been a Retreat of glaciers in the Alps since 1850, when level of CO2 emissions accelerated due to industrialisation and growing world population.

In 2000, the glacier ice volume in Switzerland was 76.5 cubic kilometers. In 2021, it was 52.5 cubic kilometers. [6] [7]

2002 −1 %, 2003 −3.8 %, 2004 −1.2 %, 2005 −1.9 %, 2006 −2.3 %, 2007 −1.1 %, 2008 −1.8 %, 2009 −1.7 %,

2010 −1.3 %, 2011 −3.1 %, 2012 −2 %, 2013 −0.6 %, 2014 −0.8 %, 2015 −2.7 %, 2016 −1.1 %, 2017 −3.2 %, 2018 −2.9 %, 2019 −2.2 %,

2020 −2 %, 2021 −0.8 %, 2022 −5.9 %, 2023 −4.4 %, 2024 -2.3 %.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Jonathan Amos (19 December 2008). "Swiss Glaciers 'in full retreat'". BBC News. San Francisco.
  2. ↑ "Glaciers set to disappear from the Alps". SWI swissinfo.ch, a branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation. December 8, 2006. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Welcome to the Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS)" (research site). Zürich, Fribourg, Bern: ETH Zurich, University of Fribourg, University of Zurich . Retrieved 2018-01-16.
  4. ↑ "Topographical catchment areas of Swiss waterbodies". Wabern, BE, Switzerland: Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) – via map.geo.admin.ch swisstopo.
  5. ↑ "Annual CO₂ emissions". Our World in Data. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024.
  6. ↑ source: GLAMOS
  7. ↑ srf.ch 2025: Die Gletscher schmelzen heuer schon besonders früh
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.