Swiss scientists stated that the largest glacier in the Alps could potentially be partially preserved if global warming is limited to below two degrees Celsius. However, significant ice loss is anticipated as glaciers worldwide are melting at an accelerated rate, with the most recent three-year period experiencing the largest mass loss on record, according to a UN report. The Great Aletsch Glacier in the Bernese Alps, which spans 20 kilometers and weighs 10 billion tons, attracts over a million visitors annually who marvel at its vastness from the Junfraujoch viewing platform at an altitude of 3,454 meters above sea level. Matthias Huss, Director of Glacier Monitoring Switzerland (GLAMOS), expressed hope that some ice could be conserved at this high altitude, even though the likelihood is that most glaciers will eventually disappear. Without climate mitigation, the Aletsch Glacier’s distinct tributaries would vanish, leaving a grey valley; however, if global warming is kept below two degrees, the glacier could survive albeit in a reduced form, helping to mitigate the rise in sea levels. The Swiss Academy of Sciences indicated that glaciers above 3,000 meters could potentially be preserved in the long run. Although it is unclear which scenario is more probable, Swiss glaciologist Andreas Linsbauer suggested it may be a combination of the two. Switzerland, home to more than half of the Alps’ glaciers, is experiencing temperature increases twice the global average due to climate change, resulting in a nearly 40 percent decline in glacier volume since 2000.
