Initiatives like “In the Skin of a Glaciologist“, organized by researcher Christopher Ogier, engages the public in monitoring glacier’s changes, fostering both scientific understanding and regional development.
Glacier retreat can affect biodiversity, and especially leads to the loss of habitat for the very species that live on glaciers or in glacier-fed rivers. Glacier vanishing hence generates an extinction risk for adapted species and jeopardizes biodiversity. At the same time, as glaciers shrink, they create new land and water ecosystems. Between 2020 and 2100, the area of these emerging pristine ecosystems will globally reach the size of Nepal to Finland. These new ecosystems will range from harsh to moderate environments, providing habitats for cold-adapted species and increasing plant growth. Since less than half of glacier areas are protected, there’s an urgent need to improve climate-change mitigation and ecosystem protection. This is emphasized by the recent UN resolution declaring 2025 the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation.
Explore inspiring initiatives that are making a significant impact on glacier conservation. These projects highlight the creativity and dedication of individuals and communities working together to build a sustainable future in the Alps.
Dr. Jean-Baptiste Bosson is a glaciologist and researcher in the Alps who is deeply committed to studying glacier and postglacial ecosystems evolution, and advocating for their conservation. He tries to improve awareness on the facts that glaciers are essential for regulating the global climate and water cycle and have key impact on biodiversity (and human lives), yet they are often neglected in conservation efforts.
Ice and Life
Since its creation in 2020, KFJ supports this project developed by Jean-Baptiste Bosson with scientific and conservation partners to enhance knowledge and conservation on glaciers and postglacial ecosystems.
World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS)
KJF is partnering with the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) of the University of Zurich, in Switzerland, to collect data and study changes in mass, volume, area and length of glaciers over time.
- Sensor SmartStake located on Hintereisferner on ~2800m above sea level
- They can clearly see daily melt cycles and identify periods with stronger melt or when melt has paused due colder periods. This is a good step forward in increasing the temporal resolution of glacier monitoring data.
- Cite referring to: Rainer Prinz, Department of Atmospheric and Cryospheric Sciences, University of Innsbruck, Austria.
The Rhoneglacier Glacier
The Rhoneglacier Glacier in Switzerland is both a focal point of ETHZ-D-BAUG alpine glacier research program and a popular tourist destination, partly due to its once-visible-from-the-road location and the “ice cave” attraction managed by a private company. To counteract the glacier’s recession and preserve the ice cave, the company has covered parts of the glacier with white blankets to reflect solar energy and reduce localized melting. Researcher Christophe Ogier says “This is not a viable large-scale solution and often leads to public misunderstanding. I believe the only way to genuinely save glaciers is by reducing CO2 emissions. For more insight, see a recent article by my colleague Matthias Huss on glacier preservation.”
VAW-ETHZ
Developed a similar sensor for monitoring glacier changes over time. They put time-lapse cameras on stakes over several glaciers. The aim is to provide a daily forecast of glacier melt and thus glacier runoff. During summer days, the glacier surface at the glacier tongue can melt by >10cm per day.
In the skin of a glaciologist
Two years ago, Christopher Ogier, in collaboration with Chloé Barboux and the Parc Regional of Trient, organized a citizen science tour that takes place annually in autumn. The event is titled “In the Skin of a Glaciologist.” Its purpose is to engage the public, including non-scientists, in reading a mass balance stake located on the Glacier de Trient. This stake, drilled into the ice, is measured once a year to determine the extent of surface melt. The project also supports the ongoing development of the Parc Regional du Trient. For more information and to register for the next tour planned for September 2024.
A historical perspective on glacial retreat
Researchers at ETH Zurich and WSL have for the first time reconstructed the extent of Switzerland’s glacier ice loss in the 20th century. For this purpose, the researchers used historical imagery and concluded that the country’s glaciers lost half their volume between 1931 and 2016.
The Glacier Initiative
The Glacier Initiative is a Swiss association focused on preserving glaciers, aligning with Switzerland’s commitment to the 2015 Paris Agreement. This significant national project aims to protect the country’s glaciers from the impacts of climate change. The initiative seeks to provide a legal basis to phase out fossil fuels and achieve a net-zero society, ensuring Switzerland fulfills its international climate obligations.
