Marmolada Glacier faces record retreat and potential disappearance within a decade

The Marmolada Glacier in the Dolomites is experiencing rapid and record-breaking shrinkage. According to data from the eighth Participatory Glaciological Campaign, the glacier lost 9 hectares of surface area in a single year, decreasing from 92 hectares in 2025 to 83 hectares currently.

Researchers from the University of Padua and the Italian Glaciological Foundation reported that the average retreat of the glacier fronts reached 23 meters, nearly triple the 8 meters recorded the previous year. The western sector is particularly affected, with one monitoring point recording a 120-meter retreat over two years. The glacier's front is now located above an altitude of 2,900 meters.

Experts, including Professor Mauro Varotto of the University of Padua, warn that if summer temperatures continue at this unprecedented rate—noting that 2026 was the hottest year at high altitudes since 1991—the glacier may only have about ten years of life remaining. The retreat follows a pattern of significant loss previously seen in 2022.