, french: Glacier du Rhône, it, ghiacciaio del Rodano , photo = Ghiacciaiorhone.jpg , photo_caption = View towards the

Tieralplistock The Tieralplistock (3,383 m) is a mountain of the Urner Alps, located on the border between the Swiss cantons of Canton of Bern, Bern and Valais. It lies between the Trift Glacier and the Rhone Glacier, just east of the Gelmersee, lake of Gelmer ...

, type = Valley glacier , location =

Furka Pass Furka Pass (french: Le Col de la Furka), with an elevation of , is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting Gletsch, Valais with Realp, Uri. The Furka Oberalp Bahn line through the Furka Tunnel bypasses the pass. The base tunnel ope ...

Valais Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the 26 cantons forming the S ...

, Switzerland , coords = , area = (1973) , length = (1879), (1973), (2016) , thickness = , elevation_max = , elevation_min = , terminus = Rotten (local name for

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

) above

Gletsch Gletsch () is a hamlet in the German-speaking half of the canton of Valais, located in the upper Rhone valley, called Obergoms ('Upper Goms'), , southeast below the Rhone Glacier's mouth and itself the headwaters of the Rhône. It is called Gle ...

, status = Retreating , map = Switzerland#Alps , label_position = top , map_alt = , map_caption = , embedded = The Rhône Glacier (german: Rhonegletscher,

Walliser German Walser German (german: Walserdeutsch) and Walliser German (, locally ) are a group of Highest Alemannic dialects spoken in parts of Switzerland (Valais, Ticino, Grisons), Italy (Piedmont, Aosta Valley), Liechtenstein (Triesenberg, Planken), and ...

: ''Rottengletscher'', french: glacier du Rhône, it, ghiacciaio del Rodano) is a

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 over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...

in the Swiss Alps and the source of the river

and one of the primary contributors to

Lake Geneva , image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg , caption = Satellite image , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Switzerland, France , coords = , lake_type = Glacial la ...

in the far eastern end of the Swiss canton of Valais. Because the glacier is located close to the

road it is easily accessible.

Geography

The Rhône Glacier is the largest glacier in the

Urner Alps The Uri Alps (also known as ''Urner Alps'', german: Urner Alpen) are a mountain range in Central Switzerland and part of the Western Alps. They extend into the cantons of Obwalden, Valais, Bern, Uri and Nidwalden and are bordered by the Bernes ...

. It lies on the south side of the range at the source of the Rhône. The ''Undri Triftlimi'' (3,081 m) connects it to the Trift Glacier. The glacier is located on the northernmost part of the canton of Valais, between the

Grimsel Pass The Grimsel Pass (german: Grimselpass; french: Col du Grimsel; it, Passo del Grimsel) is a mountain pass in Switzerland, crossing the Bernese Alps at an elevation of . The pass connects the Haslital, the upper valley of the river Aare, with the ...

and the

and is part of the

Oberwald Oberwald is a village in the municipality of Obergoms in Goms District in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is situated at an elevation of 1,377 m and had a population of 277 in December 2007. It is located at the end of the Goms, direct ...

municipality. The

Dammastock The Dammastock (3,630 m) is the highest mountain in the Urner Alps in Switzerland and is part of the Winterberg massif. Its summit ridge forms the border between the cantons of Uri and the Valais. It is the highest summit in the canton of Uri ...

(3,630 m) is the highest summit above the glacier.

Evolution

File:Rhone Glacier 2021.JPG, 2021 File:Rhonegletscher Sept-2018a.jpg, 2018 File:2010-10-10 Furka 035-by bohdan urbanowicz.jpg, 2010 File:Glacier du Rhone.jpg, 2008 File:Rhoneglacier.JPG, 2005 File:Gletch und Rhonegletscher um 1900.jpeg, 1900 File:Johann Heinrich Müller, 1825-1894 H21 Rhonegletscher.JPG, 1870 Rhone glacier stats

The Rhône Glacier is easily accessible so its evolution is observed since the 19th century. The glacier lost ~1300 m during the last 120 years leaving behind a track of naked stone.

Slowing the retreat

For several years, UV-resistant fleecy white blankets have been installed during the warm periods, covering about 5 acres of the retreating glacier to reduce its melting. It's estimated that this effort reduces the melting by up to 70%. In addition to the global implications of increasing climate warming and instability, the local economy is at risk of losing business income from glacier tourists who have flocked to the area since 1870 to walk through "a long and winding ice grotto with glistening blue walls and a leaky ceiling".

References

Rhône Glacier
at Glaciers online
Rhône Glacier
at

NASA Earth Observatory NASA Earth Observatory is an online publishing outlet for NASA which was created in 1999. It is the principal source of satellite imagery and other scientific information pertaining to the climate and the environment which are being provided by NA ...

External links

Simulation of the shrinking of the glacier
- with length variation measurements since 1879 *
Interactive repeat photo comparisons of the Rhône Glacier
Glaciers of Valais Glaciers of the Alps Rhône Tourist attractions in Valais {{Valais-glacier-stub

Geography

Evolution

Slowing the retreat

See also

References

External links