Ticino glaciers could disappear in ten years’ time
Published: Monday, Nov 13th 2023, 12:30
Updated At: Monday, Nov 13th 2023, 12:33
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Ticino's glaciers have declined sharply for the second year in a row. If the glacier melt continues at the same rate, the glaciers in the southern canton could have largely disappeared in five to ten years.
The extreme heat in Ticino in the second half of August and the warm September and October led to a sharp retreat of the glaciers between the end of summer and the beginning of fall, the Ticino Office for Natural Hazards, Fire and Planning announced on Monday.
If the glacier retreat continues at this rate, it must be expected that only a few isolated patches of ice will remain of the Ticino glaciers in the next five to ten years.
In 2023, the Bresciana Glacier saw the greatest decline compared to the previous year: it shrank by 23.2 meters this year compared to 18.5 meters in the previous year. The Basòdino glacier, the Valleggia glacier and the Corno glacier have also recorded sharp declines.
Accelerated thickness loss
The average thickness loss of the glaciers in question has also increased significantly, writes the Ticino Office for Natural Hazards, Fire and Planning. The average values here have doubled compared to previous years. This applies in particular to the Valleggia and Corno glaciers.
The thickness of the Valleggia glacier decreased by 5.28 meters between 2021 and 2022 and by 5.28 meters between 2022 and 2023. According to the press release, the thickness of the Corno glacier decreased by 7.04 meters between 2021 and 2023.
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