When the weather forecast in the news says that the zero-degree limit in Switzerland is 4,000 meters, that doesn’t just mean soft firn and butter-soft snow for mountaineers when climbing one of the highest Alpine peaks. But also a rapid loss of mass for the glaciers. On their way towards the valley, their ice load decreases rapidly with the temperatures, which are also getting warmer at night.
A unique illustrated book with the simple title “Alpine ice – glaciers and permafrost in climate change“, the in Rother Bergverlag appeared. For years the geologist and Photographer Bernhard Edmaier captured the snow and ice-covered regions of the Alps from a helicopter with his Hasselblatt cameras.
The glacier masses are shrinking
This change of perspective gives us a new look at the changing ice formations. Edmaier first shows the aesthetic side, making visible the structures of the ice masses moving in slow motion, the powerful dynamics of the glacial flow, the colors of firn, snow and ice, right through to the turquoise of newly formed glacial lakes.
With this optical declaration of love, he makes us aware of the loss of diversity we are facing as a result of the melting and disappearance of the glaciers. What remains are fallow areas, vegetationless moraines and desert-like scree slopes.
Destabilization due to less permafrost
But below the surface, Edmaier makes another phenomenon visible that is just as serious: He visualizes the disappearance of the permafrost, the zero-degree isotherm that shifts upwards in summer. Because the permanent ground frost is considered a cold putty for rock and ice. This stabilizing effect is increasingly disappearing and accelerates rock avalanches and the sliding of hanging glaciers, such as the catastrophe on the Marmolada in the Dolomites in early July.
Unfortunately, reading “Alpeneis” also has something frightening about it, because this year the glacier melt has again increased extremely after the winter with little snow and the long, hot summer weeks.
Also read:
– Climate change in the mountains: “Investing in snow guns is crazy”
– Jungfraujoch in Switzerland Selfie sticks in the snow: How Asians are conquering the Alps
– Almost ice-free in 80 years: New computer model predicts a devastating future for Alpine glaciers
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