Sitemap

By Lisi Niesner

Alien World Under Austria’s Doomed Glaciers

Scientists are venturing inside otherworldly ice caves growing beneath Austria’s doomed glaciers to study why they are melting even faster than expected, and understand the fate that will befall glaciers elsewhere if climate change is not halted.

It is already too late to save the glaciers of the eastern Alps, which scientists now say are past the point of no return and will be gone completely in the next few decades.

The eerie blue caverns beneath them hold clues as to how the ice – which built up over millennia and melted over decades – collapsed far faster than expected. That could help communities that depend on glaciers in other parts of the world to better manage their decline.

“We can’t do anything anymore for eastern Alpine glaciers. But here we can see what happens if we do noth ing for the other glaciers,” said Andrea Fischer, who brought a photographer into the caverns beneath the Jamtalferner glacier in the Tyrolean Alps, towering above the Austrian border with Switzerland.

The Jamtalferner is among Austria’s 30 largest glaciers and one of 10 where scientists take very precise measurements annually, documenting the now irreversible decline.

The hollows are eroding the glaciers from within, as warmer air and meltwater come into contact with ever more of the ice, until it collapses.

“These holes are a typical sign of collapse that we observe. It is also a reason it happens so quickly – the ice is completely eroded and this process is not visible from the surface, then suddenly it all implodes,” Fischer, acting director of the Austrian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Interdisciplinary Mountain Research.

CorD Recommends

More...

Cultural Destinations

Must-Visit Cultural Destinations in Switzerland

The country’s towns and cities are home to great museums and galleries, atmospheric old quarters and spectacular citadels, says Tim Cumming Switzerland is home to...

The Natural Wealth That We Share

There are few regions of the world like the Western Balkans and the countries of the former Yugoslavia, which – thanks to a wealth...

Yellowstone National Park

Stunning Natural Beauty

Yellowstone's stunning natural beauty inspired the 19th-century push to set aside the land, where Indigenous people had been present for millennia There are 63 national...

Europe’s Most Underrated Scenic Railways

As the world opens up to international travel again, it’s time to look beyond the usual tourist trails for your next adventure on rails....

News

Record Employment Numbers in Montenegro

Montenegro has recorded its highest-ever employment rate, with the number of employed individuals reaching 258,000 in July, announced Prime...

Google Marks its 25th Anniversary

The world’s foremost internet search engine, Google, celebrated its 25th birthday in grand style, presenting a special logo to...

Regenerative Agriculture: Key to Serbia’s Future and Response to Climate Change

The inaugural conference on regenerative agriculture has been held today in Belgrade, organized by FIC Serbia in collaboration with...

Serbia’s Complex Role: US Ambassador Highlights Western Alignment Amid Crisis

During a period of European crisis and distinctive security and political architecture, Serbia plays a highly complex role, stated...

Belgrade Marks European Day with Vibrant Celebration of Linguistic Diversity

In celebration of the European Day of Languages, marked annually since 2001 across all European countries, the Children's Cultural...

Record Employment Numbers in Montenegro

Montenegro has recorded its highest-ever employment rate, with the number of employed individuals reaching 258,000 in July, announced Prime...

Google Marks its 25th Anniversary

The world’s foremost internet search engine, Google, celebrated its 25th birthday in grand style, presenting a special logo to...

Regenerative Agriculture: Key to Serbia’s Future and Response to Climate Change

The inaugural conference on regenerative agriculture has been held today in Belgrade, organized by FIC Serbia in collaboration with...

Serbia’s Complex Role: US Ambassador Highlights Western Alignment Amid Crisis

During a period of European crisis and distinctive security and political architecture, Serbia plays a highly complex role, stated...

Belgrade Marks European Day with Vibrant Celebration of Linguistic Diversity

In celebration of the European Day of Languages, marked annually since 2001 across all European countries, the Children's Cultural...

Record Employment Numbers in Montenegro

Montenegro has recorded its highest-ever employment rate, with the number of employed individuals reaching 258,000 in July, announced Prime...

Google Marks its 25th Anniversary

The world’s foremost internet search engine, Google, celebrated its 25th birthday in grand style, presenting a special logo to...

Regenerative Agriculture: Key to Serbia’s Future and Response to Climate Change

The inaugural conference on regenerative agriculture has been held today in Belgrade, organized by FIC Serbia in collaboration with...

Serbia’s Complex Role: US Ambassador Highlights Western Alignment Amid Crisis

During a period of European crisis and distinctive security and political architecture, Serbia plays a highly complex role, stated...

Belgrade Marks European Day with Vibrant Celebration of Linguistic Diversity

In celebration of the European Day of Languages, marked annually since 2001 across all European countries, the Children's Cultural...