Before-and-After Satellite Images Show Upsetting Glacier Loss in Swiss Alps

The European Alps cover over 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) across eight European countries, and their cooler upper climes contain thousands of glaciers. Unfortunately, NASA satellite imagery recently captured 40 years of regression in the Alps’ largest chunk of ice, the Great Aletsch Glacier. The images—seen below, and taken in 1984 and 2024—were snapped by NASA’s Landsat 5’s Thematic Mapper and Landsat 8’s Operational Land Imager (OLI), respectively. The changes to the glacier’s length and width are apparent, reflecting a retreat of more than 4,300 feet (1,300 meters) in those 40 years. According to a NASA Earth Observatory release, the glacier has also thinned in that time—to the tune of about 141 feet (43 meters) of water, based on data from the Swiss Glacial Monitoring Network (GLAMOS). In other words, its footprint has shrunk in both dimensions. Despite some cloud cover in the newer image, the loss of ice is clear. Where ice once reflected bright white back up towards the atmosp ... Read full article.