US EditionPermafrost in Swiss Alps at Record Warmth
- The Swiss Alps permafrost reached record warmth during the hydrological year 2024, with significant warming in the top 10 metres and deeper layers.
- This warming results from ongoing climate trends, early autumn 2023 snowfall trapping ground heat, and sustained global temperature increases.
- Monitoring over 25 years shows permafrost temperature rises exceeding 0.8°C at 10 metres depth, unprecedented active layer depths, and reduced ground ice content impacting stability.
- Switzerland's current near-ground air temperature is about 2.9°C above the 1871-1900 pre-industrial average, while the hydrological years 2022 to 2024 rank among the five warmest recorded.
- These changes likely contributed to the Birch glacier collapse that destroyed Blatten village last month, highlighting challenges for alpine infrastructure and hazard management.
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In 2024, the melting of the perpetually frozen soil of the country reached a level never seen, according to the Swiss Academy of Natural Sciences. This degradation could be one of the causes of the Blatten disaster, a village ravaged by the fall of a glacier a few weeks ago.
·Paris, France
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Permafrost in Switzerland continues to thaw
The permafrost in the Swiss Alps is thawing faster and faster. The thawed top layers of permafrost have never been as thick as they were last year. This is shown by the latest data from the Swiss permafrost monitoring network Permos.
·Bern, Switzerland
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The ice in the Swiss Alps melts away – with consequences for nature and infrastructure.
·Zürich, Switzerland
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Total News Sources18
Leaning Left5Leaning Right0Center1Last UpdatedBias Distribution83% Left
Bias Distribution
- 83% of the sources lean Left
83% Left
L 83%
C 17%
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