Swiss group plans farewell ceremony for ‘dead’ Pizol glacier

After a recent 'funeral' in Iceland to mark the virtual disappearance of the country’s Okjökull glacier because of climate change, groups in Switzerland are now planning a similar event in the Alps to mark the first-ever death of a Swiss glacier.

Published: 21 August 2019 10:45 CEST

Swiss group plans farewell ceremony for 'dead’ Pizol glacier

The Pizol Glacier now measures just 0.06 square kilometres. Photo: Pizol Tourism

The ceremony, set for September 22nd, will mark the end of the Pizol Glacier in the eastern Swiss canton of Sankt Gallen.

The glacier now measures just 0.06 square kilometres – a little more than a patch of ice near the route of the Pizol mountain’s hugely popular five-lake hike.

“We don’t have to look to Iceland: We ourselves have glaciers in the Alps which are dying,” glaciologist Andreas Bauder with Zurich’s ETH technical university told news site Bluewin.

Since 2006 I have been measuring the decline of #Pizol #Glacier, climbing up there innumerable times. Now the deed is almost done… #ClimateChange
In a few weeks there's a commemoration / funeral for the vanishing glacier https://t.co/sAByRWUZ3g @KlimaschutzCH @alpeninitiative pic.twitter.com/LS4gQu3QdM

— Matthias Huss (@matthias_huss) August 16, 2019

The death of the Pizol Glacier has been coming for two decades, according to the researcher. “It’s the result of massive climate warning,” he said.

“The situation is dramatic for glaciers above 3,000 metres. They grow or maintain their size through winter snowfall. But if this snow completely melts in summer, the outcome is clear,” Bauder said.

“We predict that 80 percent of Swiss glaciers will disappear in the next 80 years,” he concluded.

The positive effect of the massive winter snowfall on glaciers in the European Alps has largely faded through the two recent heat waves. 2018-2019 will be – yet another – year with massive glacier loss in the Alps. @matthias_huss in @sciencemagazine: https://t.co/XGqX1N4RC9

— Harry Zekollari (@HarryZeko) August 9, 2019

Switzerland has around 1,500 glaciers.

Member comments

Become a Member to leave a comment.