Glacier in Austria in retreat: melt threatens the future of the Alps!
Glacier in Austria in retreat: melt threatens the future of the Alps!
Austria's glacier faces a dramatic turn. According to the glacier report of the Austrian Alpine Club (ÖAV), the glaciers experienced an alarming decline in 2023/2024. In particular, the sex gerper in the Ötztaler Alps noticed with a minus of 227.5 meters - a frightening record. Gerhard Lieb from the ÖAV glacier measurement service described the situation as a "massive phase of the decay". The average withdrawals of the glaciers were 24.1 meters this year, which represents the third strongest declines in the 134-year history of the measurements. Particularly high temperatures and little precipitation contributed to the melt, which also promises dark forecasts for the following years, as Andreas Kellerer-Pirklbauer explained. "Most glaciers in Austria will be history in 40 to 50 years," he added during a press conference in Innsbruck.
scientific surveys and their effects
The situation on the Kitzsteinhorn is also worrying. Research analyzes show that the glacier area loses up to one meter of ice mass every year. The latest technology, which combines radar systems with drones, enables more precise measurements of the ice thickness and helps to better understand the effects of climate change on the Alps. Geomorphologist Ingo Hartmeyer emphasizes how important knowledge of the ice loss is for the future of tourism and energy supply. In view of the dramatic decline in ice, there are also questions about the settlement of new ice -free areas by flora and fauna and the risks that can arise from possible rock stitches.
In summary, research illustrates the negative dynamics, which is associated with the increasing temperatures and the withdrawal of the glaciers. The ÖAV therefore calls for stopping the expansion of glacier areas and reducing CO2 emissions. The year 2025 was proclaimed by the United Nations for the “International Year to protect the glaciers” in order to draw attention to their importance for freshwater supplies. Despite the worrying developments, the drinking water supply in Austria is not primarily dependent on the glaciers, as Gerhard Lieb notes. This underlines the need to take the condition of the glaciers seriously as an indicator of climate change, as in the past at Salzburg24.at .| Details | |
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| Ort | Kitzsteinhorn, Salzburg, Österreich |
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