Artificial snow can slow down the melting of a glacier, but such projects are costly and do not stabilise the glacier, according to study of a project in south-eastern Switzerland.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jc
Italiano
it
Secondo uno studio, la neve artificiale può rallentare ma non fermare lo scioglimento dei ghiacciai
“If we really want to save the glaciers, we had better start with climate protection,” said Matthias Huss, a glaciologist at the Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich.
He worked on a study into the impact of the first such glacier rescue project of its kind in the world, at the Morteratsch glacier in the Bernina region of canton Graubünden. The results are published in the March edition of the Swiss Association of Water Management magazine.
The “Mortalive” project was launched in February 2021, and the idea was simple: as long as the ice is covered with snow, it cannot melt. Snow has a higher reflectivity than bare ice, so the sun’s rays are reflected back and do not affect the melt.
According to the study, the Morteratsch Glacier will lose between 56% and 71% of its volume over the next 40 years without any external intervention. Artificial snowmaking could prevent a good third to a quarter of this loss by 2060. This would delay the decline of the glacier somewhat, but “in the long term, it’s just a drop in the ocean”, says Huss.
The costs are also high. Some CHF150 million ($164 million) would have to be invested to install a snowmaking system on the glacier. “In addition, the impact on the largely untouched nature of the Upper Engadine mountains would be considerable,” Huss said.
Popular Stories
More
Life & Aging
Zurich: how the world capital of housing shortages is tackling the problem
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Pope was a person full of respect: Swiss president
This content was published on
Swiss president Karin Keller-Sutter, who is attending the funeral of Pope Francis, says the pontiff was always full of respect.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
‘The only way to save glaciers is to stop global warming’
This content was published on
Balzan Prize winner Johannes Oerlemans talks about the most important discoveries of his career and his attempt to preserve a glacier in Switzerland.
This content was published on
Swiss glaciers have lost more than 6% of their volume this year. The decline smashed previous record retreats, but it was not entirely negative.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.