Switzerland’s glaciers are losing an astonishing amount of ice. See the meltdown

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Swiss glaciers are undergoing an unprecedented loss of ice, with about 20% of Switzerland’s glacial ice disappearing since 2021, according to GLAMOS
• In 2026 alone, glacial ice volume fell 5.5%, with some glacier tongues losing up to 10 metres of ice

🔭 The context: Scientists attribute the acceleration to a combination of rising temperatures and repeated dry winters
• The 2025 winter left Swiss glaciers with a 25% snow deficit, while summer heat pushed temperatures above freezing at elevations exceeding 4,000 metres
• Melt rates are now more than twice those recorded during any previous five-year period

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Glaciers are critical freshwater stores and their rapid retreat can alter river flows, ecosystems and downstream water availability
• In Switzerland, the implications extend to energy security because hydropower supplies more than half of the country’s electricity

⏭️ What’s next: Researchers will continue annual measurements across Switzerland’s monitored glaciers, but the outlook is increasingly difficult for the ice itself
• Matthias Huss of GLAMOS said current conditions make long-term glacier survival in the Alps increasingly difficult

💬 One quote: “With this climate, we cannot keep glaciers in the Alps,” said Matthias Huss, glaciologist and head of GLAMOS.

📈 One stat: 5.5% — the decline in Swiss glacial ice volume between the 2025 and 2026 measurement seasons

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