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Swiss glaciers lose 5.5% of ice volume in 2026
Swiss glaciers lost 5.5% of their total ice volume in 2026, according to a report by the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (GLAMOS) and the Swiss Academy of Natural Sciences. This decline follows a period of extreme weather, including a winter with minimal snowfall and a summer marked by intense heatwaves.
Over the last five years, the total glacier volume in the Swiss Alps has decreased by approximately 20%. The report highlights that the freezing limit remained above 4,000 meters for a record 76 days between May and September. While the 2026 loss was slightly lower than the 6% record set in 2022, major glaciers such as the Aletsch and Rhône recorded their highest melting rates to date.
Scientists warn that the disappearance of these ice fields threatens Europe's water security, as glaciers act as 'water towers' that feed major rivers like the Rhine and Danube. Some smaller glaciers, including Bella Tola and Griessfiren/Plattalvafirn, have already vanished entirely.
Entities
Aletsch Glacier · Matthias Huss · Rhône Glacier · Swiss Academy of Natural Sciences · Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Swiss glaciers lost approximately 2.2 trillion liters of water between July and September 2026. www.devdiscourse.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Small glaciers, including Bella Tola and Griessfiren/Plattalvafirn, have completely disappeared. anlatilaninotesi.com.tr · www.sondakika.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Individual glaciers saw an average thickness reduction of 2.5 to 4 meters. anlatilaninotesi.com.tr · www.sondakika.com
- [● 6 SOURCES] Swiss glaciers lost 5.5% of their total ice volume in 2026. anlatilaninotesi.com.tr · www.notiulti.com · www.upreg.fr · www.devdiscourse.com · www.sondakika.com · +1 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] The Aletsch Glacier experienced its largest-ever melt in 2026. anlatilaninotesi.com.tr · www.notiulti.com · www.devdiscourse.com · www.kpbs.org
- [● 2 SOURCES] The winter of 2025-2026 was among the ten winters with the lowest snowfall since measurements began. anlatilaninotesi.com.tr · www.sondakika.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Swiss glacier volume has decreased by nearly 20% over the last five years. anlatilaninotesi.com.tr · www.devdiscourse.com · www.sondakika.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The freezing limit remained above 4,000 meters for 76 days between May and September, a record high. anlatilaninotesi.com.tr · www.sondakika.com