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The Pasterze, at approximately 8.4 kilometres (5.2 mi) in length, is the longest
The glacier reaches from its head, the Johannisberg peak at , to above sea level ( m AA). The Pasterze forms the source region of the Möll river, a left tributary of the . Its waters also feed the Margaritze reservoir, used to generate electricity at the Kaprun hydropower plant north of the Alpine crest.
The name ''Pasterze'' is possibly derived from sl, pasti, "pasture". Indeed the detection of wood, peat and pollen in the area of the retreating glacier indicate vegetation and also the use as pastureland during the last
Pasterze Glacier Trail
Multi-temporal satellite view of Pasterze Glacier
{{Coord, 47, 05, 08, N, 12, 43, 24, E, region:AT-2_type:glacier_source:dewiki, display=title Glaciers of Austria Landforms of Carinthia (state) Glaciers of the Alps Glockner Group Tourist attractions in Carinthia (state)
glacier
A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...
in Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
and in the Eastern Alps. It lies within the Glockner Group of the High Tauern mountain range in Carinthia
Carinthia (german: Kärnten ; sl, Koroška ) is the southernmost States of Austria, Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The main language is German language, German. Its regional dialects belong to t ...
, directly beneath Austria's highest mountain, the Grossglockner
The Grossglockner (german: Großglockner ; or just ''Glockner'') is, at 3,798 metres above the Adriatic (12,461 ft), the highest mountain in Austria and the highest mountain in the Alps east of the Brenner Pass. It is part of the larger Glock ...
. The length of the glacier is currently decreasing by about 50 m (160 ft) each year. Its volume has diminished by half since the first measurements in 1851.
Geography
The glacier reaches from its head, the Johannisberg peak at , to above sea level ( m AA). The Pasterze forms the source region of the Möll river, a left tributary of the . Its waters also feed the Margaritze reservoir, used to generate electricity at the Kaprun hydropower plant north of the Alpine crest.
The name ''Pasterze'' is possibly derived from sl, pasti, "pasture". Indeed the detection of wood, peat and pollen in the area of the retreating glacier indicate vegetation and also the use as pastureland during the last interglacial
An interglacial period (or alternatively interglacial, interglaciation) is a geological interval of warmer global average temperature lasting thousands of years that separates consecutive glacial periods within an ice age. The current Holocene in ...
period until about 1,500 BC.
The surrounding area was purchased by the German and Austrian Alpine Club
The German and Austrian Alpine Club (german: Deutscher und Österreichischer Alpenverein, DuÖAV) was a merger of the German, Austrian and German Bohemian Alpine Club that existed from 1873 to 1938.
History
In 1862 the ''Sektion Austria'' was fou ...
in 1918; today the glacier is part of the High Tauern National Park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
. The Pasterze is a major tourist destination, accessible via the scenic Grossglockner High Alpine Road and a funicular railway that leads down to its margin. Since its opening in 1963, the edge of the glacier has retracted about from the lower station.
See also
*List of glaciers
A glacier ( ) or () is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight; it forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation (melting and sublimation) over many years, often centuries. Glaciers slowly deform ...
*Retreat of glaciers since 1850
The retreat of glaciers since 1850 affects the availability of fresh water for irrigation and domestic use, mountain recreation, animals and plants that depend on glacier-melt, and, in the longer term, the level of the oceans. Deglaciation occu ...
* Effects of global warming
External links
Pasterze Glacier Trail
Multi-temporal satellite view of Pasterze Glacier
{{Coord, 47, 05, 08, N, 12, 43, 24, E, region:AT-2_type:glacier_source:dewiki, display=title Glaciers of Austria Landforms of Carinthia (state) Glaciers of the Alps Glockner Group Tourist attractions in Carinthia (state)