Researchers from ETH Zurich and Vrije Universiteit Brussel have documented a catastrophic decline in Swiss glacier volumes during the 2025-2026 season.. The study reveals that extreme heat and record-low snowfall caused a 5.5% loss in total ice volume, leading to the total disappearance of the Bella Tola and Griessfirn glaciers.
The 5.5% volume plunge and the death of Bella Tola
The 2025-2026 season has seen a catastrophic reduction in the presence of Swiss alpine ice, with 23 different ice mass stations documenting the decline. According to the joint study from ETH Zurich and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the region suffered a 5.5% loss in total glacier volume during this period. While the average thickness of these glaciers dropped by 2.9 metres, some specific ice tongues experienced shrinkage of as much as ten metres.
The disappearance of the Bella Tola glacier in Valais and the Griessfirn glacier in Glarus represents what researchers described as a "complete demise." These ice bodies have vanished entirely from the landscape, leaving behind photographic records that serve as evidence of loss rather than data points for comparison. This rapid shrinkage dwarfs the losses recorded in previous years, signaling an accelerating trend of glacial recession.
A 76-day heatwave and the decade's lowest snowfall
Extreme weather patterns, specifically a 76-day period of intense heat, acted as the primary driver for this year's unprecedented melting. This heatwave was compounded by a winter that saw one of the ten lowest snowfall totals in Swiss history, which stripped the mountains of the insulating snow layer required to protect the ice. Without this natrual winter insulation, the glaciers were left exposed to relentless heat from May through September.
The Matterhorn's summit recently appeared in a stark, white-free condition, a change that drew significant concern from loclas and social media observers alike. As a result of the heat, temperatures remained high even at altitudes above 4,000 metres, and by September, snow had vanished from elevations as low as 3,500 metres. Glaciers such as the Rhône, Aletsch, and Clariden all recorded their greatest melt on record during this study period .
The 1.5°C threshold and the 2100 extinction risk
The long-term outlook for global ice is increasingly grim, as the ETH Zurich team warns that nearly half of the world's glaciers could disappear by the year 2100. This projection is based on a 1.5°C warming scenario, a threshold that researchers suggest could lead to a near-total loss of existing glacial structures. This broader trend is part of a larger pattern where Swiss glaciers have already lost 20% of their total volume over the last five years.
To help visualize this potential catastrophe, the research group released the Global Glacier Extinction Explorer, an interactive tool that allows users to map projected disappearance times under various climate scenarios. The tool highlights how the current trajectory of warming threatens the stability of alpine ecosystems and the natural reservoirs that regulate European river hydrology.
The unquantified risks to downstream European rivers
While the ETH Zurich and Vrije Universiteit Brussel researchers warn of catastrophic consequences for downstream water supplies, the specific scale of this threat remains unquantified in the current report. it is unclear which specific European river systems will face the most immediate shortages, or how much local food production will be compromised by the loss of these natural reservoirs. Furthermore, while the study notes that policymakers face mounting pressure to implement preservation strategies,it does not specify which legislative actions or political bodies are being tasked with securing the region's future water security.
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