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yesterday

Swiss Glaciers Riddled With Cheese-Like Holes as Melt Rate Accelerates

Scientists say deep cavities carved by heat increase the risk of sudden glacier collapse with severe impacts on alpine water networks.

A lake of meltwater has formed on the tongue of the Rhone Glacier near Goms, Switzerland, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
The aftermath of the Birch Glacier collapse is visible in Blatten, Switzerland, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Matthias Huss, of the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and glacier monitoring group GLAMOS, and Monica Ursina Jaeger make measurements at the Rhone glacier near Goms, Switzerland, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Workers prepare sheets to cover the Rhone Glacier near Goms, Switzerland, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Overview

  • Glaciologists have documented holes forming in the Rhone and other Swiss glaciers as meltwater erodes internal ice channels.
  • Continuous monitoring shows 2022 and 2023 were the worst years on record for ice loss, with summer melt rates reaching up to 10 centimeters per day.
  • The Birch Glacier collapsed in May, triggering a mudslide that submerged the evacuated village of Blatten and highlighted the sudden risks of unstable ice.
  • Experts warn that sustained glacier retreat will reduce summer river flows crucial for drinking water, irrigation and hydroelectric power production.
  • Copernicus data show May 2024 as the second-warmest on record and WMO reports reveal mass losses in the Himalayas and Tian Shan glaciers, indicating a global pattern of accelerated ice melt.