Insights
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#consideryourimapct
What photography, glaciology, climate physics, and direct observation reveal about glaciers - explained factually, precisely, and understandably.
Not much snow this winter means less protection for the summer.
The winter of 2025/26 brought only half the usual amount of fresh snow to the Engadin. What a thin snowpack means, physically speaking, for Morteratsch and Pers.
Albedo Effect, Dark Rocks, Melting Ice
The Albedo Effect - Max Planck's Black-Body Radiation Law on Glaciers
Learn how dark rocks on glacier surfaces absorb solar radiation, following Planck's black-body radiation law. These rocks heat up and speed up ice melt through heat conduction.
Lots of new snow on the glacier
This winter (2024), we've actually seen more snow on the glaciers and in higher areas, even though the climate is getting warmer. This has several implications for the future of glaciers:
Glaciers sweat too: Soot settles on them.
Recent wildfires, like the huge one in Canada and the one in Valais, Switzerland, also contribute to the increase of black carbon. These released soot particles can spread through the atmosphere and settle on glaciers.