The Morteratsch­ Glacier in the past and the future

The glaciers over the years

Some 20,000 years ago, a thick layer of ice covered the Alps – with the exception of the higher peaks. This last ice age came to an end approximately 15,000 years ago. In 1860, the last advance of the Morteratsch Glacier came to a halt a short distance away from where the Morteratsch train station stands today. The glaciers are now melting at a record rate. This has resulted in the emergence of rocks, debris and numerous new lakes. With the glacier ice, an important reservoir of fresh water is also melting. Should the glaciers continue to become increasingly smaller, the amount of melt water in the rivers will also decrease. This will have a huge impact in dry summers, and not just in the Alps – in mountain regions across the world too.

Glacier retreat: the past and the future

The Morteratsch Glacier has undergone a considerable glacier retreat in the last 150 years. The glacier tongue has retreated by three kilometres and the entire glacier has lost about two-thirds of its volume. Since the first measurement was taken in the Engadine, the temperature has risen by almost 2°C. The future glacier change was calculated with respect to three climate scenarios:

1. High level of climate protection with a drastic reduction in CO2 emissions around the world.
2. Moderate climate protection with less greenhouse gas emissions than today.
3. No climate protection with no restrictions placed on CO2 emissions up to 2100.

In each case, we must anticipate a further massive reduction in the volume of the glacier. Even with a favourable development of the climate, two-thirds of the present-day ice masses will melt; however, if we do not massively reduce CO2 emissions, almost all of the ice will melt. The glacier retreat will also be accompanied by a considerable drop in water run-off in the summer, particularly if CO2 emissions are not reduced.

MortAlive

Even during the summer months, a fresh layer of snow can reflect the sunlight and thus protect the glacier. This is the original hypothesis of MortAlive. The only question is how will it snow in the middle of summer? Conventional snow lances cannot be used due to the movements of the glacier and the system has to forego using electricity to transport the water and produce the snow. An innovative spirit was needed and was found in the form of the snow-making pioneers, Bächler Top Track AG and Bartholet Maschinenbau AG. They developed the NESSy ZeroE, which stands for “New Energy-efficient Snow System”. This ensured that artificial snow could be produced without the need for electricity – all that was needed was melt water, a jet pump, a sufficient amount of water pressure and this sophisticated technology. This groundbreaking development has already been patented.

In the current climatic conditions, the glacier tongue would begin to grow again in ten years’ time if one square kilometre of the glacier were to remain covered with snow all year round. Even in the event of a temperature increase, MortAlive can slow the melting of the glacier.

The two scientists Felix Keller and Johannes Oerlemans are the brains behind MortAlive.