Glacier of Aletsch

The glacier of Aletsch is largest Glacier the Alps, located in the south of the Suisse in the Canton of Were worth. It is surrounded in north by the solid mass of the Jungfrau, in the south by the valley of the the Rhone with which the glacier communicates via the throats of Massa, in the east by the Lac Märjelen and in the west by the Aletschhorn.

Characteristics

Its length is of 23,6 kilometers (in December 2001) for a surface of 117,6 km (or 128 km according to the commission of evaluation of UNESCO) and a mass of 27 billion tons of glace^,. Its median part advances at a speed of about 180 to 200 meters per annum. Last nine tops which surround it have more than 4.000 meters of altitude for an average height of 4.108 meters.

Description

Western part

Since the west, the Grosser Aletschfirn runs out in the north of Aletschhorn and the Lötschenlücke (3173 meters), a collar which joined the Lötschental and which communicates with the Langgletscher. This part of the glacier is supplied in snow and ice by three important firns: l´ Ebnefluhfirn , the Gletscherhornfirn and the Kranzberfirn . These three firns begin with approximately 3800 meters. Of l´ Ebnefluhfirn until the Konkordiaplatz , l´ Aletschfirn measurement 9 kilometers with an average width of 1500 meters.

North-western part

The North-West, the Jungfraufirn coming from the side is Jungfrau and south of the Mönch is shortest of the principal firns with 7 kilometers. It is found then directly in the axis of the glaciated valley when it leads to the Konkordiaplatz . It is bordered in the west by the Kranzberg and the Trugberg in the east. At its culminating point, this firn reaches a width of 2 kilometers and measurement still 1 kilometer in its final part.

Northern part

The zone in the east of Mönch and on the south-western side of the Fiescherhorn gives rise to l´ Ewigschneefeld (literally the field of the eternal snow ). This firn of 8 kilometers and 1,2 kilometer broad continues its descent while skirting the west of the peak of the Grünhorn. The slope in the east of this last gives rise to the Fieschergletscher, a glacier which evolves/moves almost parallel to that of Aletsch but which is shorter.

Konkordiaplatz

The three principal firns follow a slope from approximately 25 to 30%. L´ Ewigschneefeld in its lower part crevassé the most of the three. They lead to the Konkordiaplatz ( place of the Harmony ) where the ice can reach a thickness of more than 900 meters.

Impact of climate warming

The Alps will lose 80% their glaciers if no change occurs in the emission of gases with Greenhouse effect. The impact on the perenniality of the glacier will be thus important.

Statistics

In green, cumulated annual differences in length. In red, annual variations length.

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