Knowra Aletsch Glacier Aletsch Glacier Aletsch Glacier is the largest glacier in the Alps, flowing through the Bernese Alps of southwestern Switzerland. Its main trunk extends about 23 kilometers from the Jungfrau region toward the Rhône Valley.
Glacier : A persistent body of land ice that forms where snow accumulates faster than it melts and moves under its own weight. Aletsch is a valley glacier whose downhill flow shapes its long trunk.
Jungfrau : A 4,158-meter mountain in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland. The Jungfrau region supplies ice to Aletsch’s upper glacier system.
Climate change in Switzerland : Long-term changes in Switzerland’s climate, including rising temperatures and shifts in precipitation and snow cover. Warming has reduced Aletsch’s ice extent and altered its seasonal melt.
Aletsch Glacier retreat : The long-term loss of length and ice volume observed at the Aletsch Glacier. This specific retreat record documents how the glacier has changed since the nineteenth century.
Glacial mass balance : The difference between the snow and ice a glacier gains and the mass it loses, chiefly through melting and calving. Annual gains and losses determine whether Aletsch advances, retreats, or stays near equilibrium.
Mönch : A 4,107-meter mountain in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland, between the Eiger and Jungfrau. The Mönch stands among the high peaks surrounding Aletsch’s accumulation area.
Glacier monitoring : The systematic measurement of glacier length, area, elevation, and mass to track change over time. Repeated surveys of Aletsch provide a record of change in the Swiss Alps.
Permafrost : Ground that remains at or below 0°C for at least two consecutive years. Warming and ice loss around Aletsch affect frozen slopes and their stability.
Glacier flow : The movement of glacier ice by internal deformation and sliding over the ground beneath it. Flow carries ice from Aletsch’s high accumulation areas toward its lower, warmer tongue.
Eiger : A 3,967-meter mountain in the Bernese Alps, known for its steep north face. The Eiger helps define the mountain setting of the Aletsch region.
Show all 21