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[INTERNATIONAL] · Switzerland, Germany · 12 sources

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Part of situation: Alps rockfalls and increasing geological instability (4 clusters)

Alps rockfalls at Zugspitze and Gross Ruchen linked to thawing permafrost

rockfall permafrost thaw climate change Alps Zugspitze

Significant rockfalls have occurred in the Alps, linked by experts to thawing permafrost and extreme heat. At the Zugspitze, approximately 13,800 cubic meters of rock broke off from the Tyrolean north face at an altitude of 2,800 meters. Researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are investigating whether warming permafrost contributed to the event, noting that temperatures in the nearby Kammstollen have risen from -1.2 to -0.7 degrees Celsius since 2007.

In Switzerland, a separate incident occurred at Gross Ruchen in the canton of Uri. Around 2,000 cubic meters of rock fell from the north face at 2,900 meters, creating a massive dust cloud that reached the Reusstal and Brunnital valleys. Authorities suggest that extreme heat may have melted underground ice, reducing the cohesion of the rock masses. No injuries or damage to infrastructure were reported in Unterschächen.

These events follow a broader trend of instability in the Alps, with increased rockfalls also being recorded in the Dolomites and Mont Blanc. Additionally, Swiss glaciers have seen a significant loss of ice, with some areas losing nearly 20% of their volume since 2021 due to low snowfall and heatwaves.

Entities

Alps · Gross Ruchen · Technical University of Munich · Unterschächen · Zugspitze

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Sources

Forscher rechnen mit weiteren Abbrüchen an dser Zugspitze - Wöchentlich [wochentlich.de]
Du Monviso au Gross Ruchen, la chaleur des hautes altitudes fait s'effondrer même nos montagnes - JHM-blogs [jhm-blogs.fr]
13. 800 Kubikmeter stürzten ab: Das große Rätsel um den Zugspitz-Abbruch [www.focus.de]
Massiver Felssturz in den Alpen: Gemeinde schlägt Alarm – riesige Staubwolke zieht ins Tal [www.fehmarn24.de]
Massiver Felssturz in den Alpen: Gemeinde schlägt Alarm – riesige Staubwolke zieht ins Tal [www.kurierverlag.de]
Zugspitze verliert 13. 800 Kubikmeter Fels – Münchner Forscher haben tauenden Permafrost im Verdacht [www.leinetal24.de]
Los glaciares suizos pierden 5,5 % de hielo en un solo año, entre poca nieve y mucho calor [www.prensalibre.com]
Massiver Felssturz in den Alpen: Gemeinde schlägt Alarm – riesige Staubwolke zieht ins Tal [www.tz.de]
Massiver Felssturz in den Alpen: Gemeinde schlägt Alarm – riesige Staubwolke zieht ins Tal [www.mannheim24.de]
Massiver Felssturz in den Alpen: Gemeinde schlägt Alarm – riesige Staubwolke zieht ins Tal [www.op-online.de]
Massiver Felssturz in den Alpen: Gemeinde schlägt Alarm – riesige Staubwolke zieht ins Tal [www.kreiszeitung.de]
Zugspitze verliert 13. 800 Kubikmeter Fels – Münchner Forscher haben tauenden Permafrost im Verdacht [www.tz.de]