As strange as it may sound, the problems associated with global warming, on the one hand, cause an unprecedented resonance in modern society, and on the other hand, few people understand what is happening. To clearly show that these are not just another "horror stories" of ecologists, we decided to collect photographs of alpine glaciers made by caring researchers in the range of 100 years. The result of the comparison was really impressive.
Glacier Bossons on the north side of Mont Blanc (Swiss Alps, images from 1880 and 2010)
The melting of glaciers has become the most visible criterion by which the impacts of climate change can be measured. Scientists and ecologists are sounding the alarm, because this process is the clearest evidence of the ongoing warming, which is drastically affecting the entire system of the planet's hydro resources.
Glechter Trift (Trift-Gletscher) in the Valais canton (Swiss Alps, photographs 1891 and 2010).
In order to understand the magnitude of the problem, from time to time, researchers travel to the places that are most affected by climate change. So, for example, a comparison of photographs taken in the Alps at different times clearly shows that their unshakable power is catastrophically decreasing, and further forecasts are also disappointing.
View of Mount Dent Blanche from the Ferpecle Glacier (Swiss Alps, 1900 and 2010 images).
Note: It has been scientifically proven that over the past 170 years, the area of Swiss glaciers has decreased by half. In 1850, their area was 1,735 km², and by 2020, only 890 square kilometers remained of them. It is completely depressing that the rate of melting increases every year. If in the first 120 years the ice area in the alpine highlands has decreased by 400 square meters, then over the last 50 - the glaciers have decreased by 445 square meters.
Walter Mittelholzer (1894-1937) - Swiss pilot and first aerial photographer.
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With the advent of aviation, researchers and scientists had a unique opportunity to observe the disappointing process from the sky. More recently, the world was shocked by new images from the University of Dundee in Scotland, which decided to conduct an aerial survey of the landscape of the area that Walter Mittelholzer photographed 100 years ago.
The Swiss National Museum has a permanent exhibition dedicated to the work of Walter Mittelholzer. | Photo: cockpit.aero/ & copy; Schweizerisches Nationalmuseum. The Swiss National Museum has a permanent exhibition dedicated to the work of Walter Mittelholzer.
Biographical note: St. Gallen Walter Mittelholzer (1894-1937) combined aviation and photography into a lucrative business. He has been a pilot, book author, entrepreneur, media star, Swissair co-founder and photographer. During his short life, he made films, made photo and video reports, wrote books and amassed a huge collection of photographs, consisting of more than 18 thousand photographs that he took while traveling around the world. Despite the fact that Mittelholzer was an avid pilot, he died from a collapse in a mine while filming his next masterpiece.
Kieran Baxter photographs the same locations in helicopter as Mittelholzer took 100 years ago.
According to the editors of Novate. Ru, Kieran Baxter and Alice Watterston flew over Mont Blanc Bossons, Mer de Glacy and Argentier, taking a series of photographs of the mountain landscape, which were shot in August 1919 by Walter Mittelholzer. Mountain peaks and peaks, seen in the photo of their predecessor, became anchor points for geolocation.
Photo of the Argentiere glacier taken by Mittelholzer in 1919 and Kieran Baxter in 2019 (Swiss Alps).
One of the members of the scientific expedition commented on what he saw: “The scale of the ice loss became apparent as soon as we took to the sky, but only by comparing images taken from one point, could we see the changes over the past 100 years. It was a thrilling and heartbreaking sight, especially knowing that melting has accelerated dramatically over the past few decades.”
Mer de Glace glacier in 1919 and 2019 (Photo by Walter Mittelholzer, ETH-Library of Zurich / Dr. Kieran Baxter, University of Dundee).
Through their work, the researchers clearly demonstrated the extent of the melting of glaciers, which became another proof of how destructively global warming affects the ice fields of the Alps.
Mont Blanc Bosson Glacier in 1919 and 2019 (Photo by Walter Mittelholzer, ETH-Library of Zurich / Dr. Kieran Baxter, University of Dundee).
In Switzerland, the research center for the study of glaciers "Glamos" ("Das Schweizerische Gletschermessnetz") is studying this problem. Its scientists have long calculated that by the end of this century, the ice fields in Switzerland will decrease by 80-90%, and it will not be possible to avoid a catastrophe, even if the warming process stops.
In July 2019, at the top of Mont Blanc, at an altitude of 3.4 km. discovered a picturesque lake, the appearance of which greatly upset scientists.
Fun Fact: The glaciers of the Swiss Alps are the main source of fresh water for most European rivers, including the Rhine and Rhone.
Glacier of the canton Graubünden at the top of Piz Pali (Swiss Alps)
The loss of ice areas can lead to major problems related to the use of water resources. Not only will several countries be deprived of a source of clean drinking water at once, but problems with electricity generation will begin, because melt water is involved in production processes.
A catastrophic decrease in the area of the ice field in the canton of Grigioni (Swiss Alps).
The state of the glacier in the Bernina mountain range 100 years apart (Swiss Alps).
But that's not all, the picturesque slopes of the Alps and powerful ice fields attract tourists like a magnet, and this is a considerable income for the country's treasury. Plus, the melting of glaciers will lead to an increase in the degree of avalanche danger in high mountain regions.
Glaciers have become a favorite destination for excursions.
The descent of avalanches over the centuries-old history has already done a lot of troubles, which are said to be almost daily finds in places where ice melts. Retreating glaciers reveal tragic secrets. Recently, many scraps of clothing, parts of equipment, and even fragments of the bodies of the dead, who had been under ice for decades, were found on the slopes.
Unfortunately, not only glaciers are disappearing on our land. As scientists predict, soon on the planet we will not see many interesting places that nature and mankind have created. And the most offensive thing is that for natural reasons we will lose only a small fraction of the sights, but thanks to the thoughtless management of ourselves, at least 10 iconic places on Earth will disappear forever faster than our grandchildren can see them.