Climate catastrophe in Blatten: Abortion glacier threatens the entire region!

Climate catastrophe in Blatten: Abortion glacier threatens the entire region!

What a drama in the Swiss Alps! The small village of Blatten has almost completely destroyed a massive abortion. Over three million cubic meters of rock, ice cream and other material have fallen into the valley over 1000 meters of altitude and have shaped the landscape within minutes. Thanks to an early warning system, around 300 parts of the population of sheets could be evacuated in good time. Unfortunately, a man is still missing, while the situation on the Lonza, which has now been dammed up by the rock, remains tense, since a new lake forms, the level of which rises quickly and can conjure up dangerous situations for surrounding communities. The experts warn a sudden tidal wave. The geographer Margreth Keiler and the Glaziologist Andrea Fischer from the Austrian Academy of Sciences [ÖAW] (https://www.oeaw.ac.at/news/der-klimawaWeLel-ist-be-uns-weben express the seriousness of the situation and emphasize that the situation must be observed in the coming days and weeks.

But what is behind the dramatic events? The instability of the site above the birch glacier in the permafrost zone has increased due to global warming. The permafrost thaws, and the load through the rock mass leads to an accelerated movement of the glacier. According to the permafrost expert Christophe Lambiel from the University of Lausanne, this dynamic contributed directly to the end of the glacier. He does not know a comparable misfortune in the Alps and describes the challenges caused by global warming to the stability of the mountains and glaciers. Lambiel noticed that the permanent frost floors in the Alps, which have an important stabilizing function, have a lot of warm up since 2022 and the susceptibility to such natural disasters increases significantly [the Press] (https://www.diepresse.com/19741937/permafrostexperte-klimawandel-urärsnache- Glacier Abbruch-von-Blatten).

climate change as the main actor

climate change not only affects in Switzerland, but also in the Alps as a whole. Experts report that man unintentionally brings nature out of balance. Current events of this kind are not directly recorded in Austria, but similar developments are not excluded. Melting glaciers, more frequent stone slices and misery as well as unstable glacier tendencies are an alarming reality of climate change that could also come to us in this country. It is clear that the increase in temperature also affects the installation views in the permafrost, which leads to dangerous tensions in the rock mastering climate change.

The challenges that climate change brings with it require a rethink in planning and preparation for natural hazards. While there is a nationwide permafrost measuring network in Switzerland, which enables early warning, it looks different in Austria with only isolated measuring points. Fischer emphasizes the need for an evidence -based warning system in Austria to clarify the population about the risks and take possible adjustment measures. Without a clear strategy, the next danger could be faster than we can imagine.

The situation in Blatten is a warning example of how climate change has also reached us and what far -reaching consequences can still come to us. It is worth keeping your eyes open and promoting responsible action in nature and the environment.