Steffen (right) had a prominent visitor when President Doris Leuthard came to Greenland in 2017 to learn about the impact of climate change.
Keystone/Peter Frey
The 68-year-old was killed in an accident at a weather station, known as Swiss camp, at the weekend, officials said on Monday. He fell into a crevasse full of water when the snow gave way beneath him, some 100 metres from the camp.
As of Tuesday, Steffen’s body had not yet been recovered.
Steffen, a dual Swiss/American who headed the Federal Office for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research since 2012, has conducted research into climate change in the Arctic and Antarctic for more than 40 years.
More
More
Iceman keeps his cool despite global warming
This content was published on
swissinfo caught up with him at the Swiss Camp on Greenland’s west coast, where he measures variations in the island’s ice cap with his research team from Colorado’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES). “Koni”, as Steffen is known, is a true lover of nature, especially the cold and the snow. Since 1975,…
“With Koni Steffen’s death, we have lost a uniquely kind and committed colleague. Everyone in the ETH Domain is greatly saddened by this loss,” Michael Hengartner, the chairman of the board of the Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich said in a statementExternal link.
Steffen had a successful career as a scientist after his doctorate in 1984 and taught at the University of Boulder, Colorado.
From 2012 he was also professor for climate and cryosphere research at the Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich and in Lausanne.
His work took him to Greenland every year, and he was the scientific director of the Swiss Polar Institute.
In this video from 2018, Steffen talks about his work and the Swiss contribution to polar research:
External Content
More
Why melting glaciers affect us all
Alpine glaciers could disappear by the end of the century. The consequences will be felt not only in the Swiss Alps but all over the planet.
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?
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
This content was published on
Swiss imports and exports reached new heights in the first quarter, driven by the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors. Shipments to the US rose sharply.
Italian in Switzerland accused of being Calabrian mafia henchman
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has charged an Italian resident of the Anello-Fruci 'Ndrangheta clan in the canton of Aargau.
Swiss CFOs have a pessimistic outlook due to trade wars
This content was published on
In the wake of the trade wars launched by US President Donald Trump, Swiss companies are assessing the future much more pessimistically.
Swiss parcel bomber had links to military and intelligence services
This content was published on
The 61-year-old man who admitted to being Patek Philippe's blackmailer in Geneva had connections in the police and the army.
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
How the Alps inform polar research
This content was published on
Switzerland might seem an odd place for a summit on polar studies. But with its high mountains, it is part of the “third pole” after North and South.
Melting polar ice ‘directly threatens business profits’
This content was published on
“There are no jobs, no business opportunities and no profits to be made on a dead planet.” That was a strong message heard at Davos.
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.