{{Short description|Glacier in the Swiss Alps}} {{For|the glacier in Antarctica|Rhone Glacier (Antarctica)}} {{Other uses|Rhone (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox glacier |name = Rhône Glacier |other_name = {{langx|de|Rhonegletscher}}, {{langx|fr|Glacier du Rhône}}, {{langx|it|ghiacciaio del Rodano}} |image = Ghiacciaiorhone.jpg |caption = View towards the Tieralplistock |type = Valley glacier |location = Furka Pass, Valais, Switzerland |coordinates = {{coord|46|34.32|N|8|22.58|E|region:CH-VS_type:glacier|display=inline,title}} |area = {{convert|17.60|km2|abbr=on}} (1973) |length = {{convert|9.09|km|abbr=on}} (1879), {{convert|8.00|km|abbr=on}} (1973), {{convert|7.65|km|abbr=on}} (2016) |thickness = |elevation_max = {{convert|3630|m|abbr=on}} |elevation_min = {{convert|2200|m|abbr=on}} |terminus = Rotten (local name for Rhône) above Gletsch |status = Retreating |map = Switzerland#Canton of Valais#Alps |label_position = top |map_alt = |map_caption = |mapframe = yes |mapframe-zoom = 12 |mapframe-wikidata = yes }} The '''Rhône Glacier''' ({{langx|de|Rhonegletscher}}, Walliser German: ''Rottengletscher'', {{langx|fr|glacier du Rhône}}, {{langx|it|ghiacciaio del Rodano}}) is a glacier in the Swiss Alps and the source of the river Rhône and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the Swiss canton of Valais. While the glacier is accessible via the Furka Pass road, it can only be visited between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox (roughly 120 days a year).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Abhelakh |first1=Anneke |title=Oscillating Spaces |url=https://www.cca.qc.ca/en/events/97996/oscillating-spaces |website=Canadian Centre for Architecture |access-date=30 April 2025}}</ref>
==Geography== The Rhône Glacier is the largest glacier in the Urner Alps. It lies on the south side of the range at the source of the Rhône. The ''Undri Triftlimi'' ({{cvt|3081|m|disp=comma}}) connects it to the Trift Glacier. The glacier is located on the northernmost part of the canton of Valais, between the Grimsel Pass and the Furka Pass and is part of the Oberwald municipality. The Dammastock ({{cvt|3630|m|disp=comma}}) is the highest summit above the glacier.
==Evolution== In recent years, the Rhône Glacier has become a prominent example of Alpine glacier retreat. According to a 2025 report by ''Swissinfo'', since 1850, the glacier has lost about 60% of its volume. Between 2023 and 2024, the melt rate was recorded at 2.5%, exceeding the average of the previous decade.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 January 2025 |title=Secrets revealed by melting Swiss glaciers could eat plastic and cure disease |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/climate-solutions/research-revealed-melting-swiss-glaciers-could-eat-plastic-and-cure-disease/88656119 |access-date=2 July 2025 |website=Swissinfo}}</ref><gallery perrow="5"> File:Johann Heinrich Müller, 1825-1894 H21 Rhonegletscher.JPG|1870 File:Gletch und Rhonegletscher um 1900.jpeg|1900 File:Rhoneglacier.JPG|2005 File:Glacier du Rhone.jpg|2008 File:2010-10-10 Furka 035-by bohdan urbanowicz.jpg|2010 File:Rhonegletscher Sept-2018a.jpg|2018 File:Rhone Glacier 2021.JPG|2021 </gallery> thumb|left|Evolution of The Rhône Glacier.<br> Vertical axis: length difference in meters<br> Horizontal axis: years<br> In thick green: cumulated length difference starting 1879<br> In thin red: growth during one year
Because of its easy accessibility the evolution of the Rhône Glacier has been observed since the 19th century. During the last 120 years, the glacier has retreated approximately {{cvt|1300|m}}, leaving behind a track of naked stone.
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==Slowing the retreat== For several years, UV-resistant fleecy white blankets have been installed during the warm periods, covering about {{convert|5|acre|ha|0|order=flip}} of the retreating glacier to reduce its melting.<ref name="Mallonee/Wired/Nov 2016">{{cite web|last1=Mallonee|first1=Laura|title=Switzerland Tries to Save a Glacier... by Covering It in Blankets|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/11/stefan-schlumpf-hidden-landscapes-rhone-glacier/|website=WIRED|accessdate=11 March 2018}}</ref> It is estimated that this effort reduces the melting by up to 70%.<ref name="Harvey/E&E News/Mar. 2018">{{cite web|last1=Harvey|first1=Chelsea|title=GEOENGINEERING: Can we refreeze the Arctic? Scientists are beginning to ask|url=https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060075503|website=www.eenews.net|accessdate=11 March 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.education.nationalgeographic.org/2018/03/14/switzerland-protects-the-alps-with-a-blanket/|title=Switzerland Protects the Alps with a Blanket|last=Carylsue|first=|date=2018-03-14|website=National Geographic Education Blog|language=en|access-date=2019-10-26}}</ref> In addition to the global implications of increasing climate warming and instability, the local economy is at risk of losing business income from glacier tourists who have flocked to the area since 1870 to walk through "a long and winding ice grotto with glistening blue walls and a leaky ceiling".<ref name="Larson/AFP/Sep. 2015">{{cite web|last1=Larson|first1=Nina|title=Blankets cover Swiss glacier in vain effort to halt icemelt|url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/blankets-cover-swiss-glacier-vain-effort-halt-icemelt-032809749.html|website=Yahoo|publisher=Agence France-Presse/AFP|accessdate=11 March 2018|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503165810/https://www.yahoo.com/news/blankets-cover-swiss-glacier-vain-effort-halt-icemelt-032809749.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2018, photographers Simon Norfolk and Klaus Thymann created a series of photographs titled "Shroud" displaying the wrapped glacier for the charity organisation Project Pressure to draw attention to the glacial retreat.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Artists {{!}} Project Pressure |url=https://www.project-pressure.org/artists/ |access-date=2023-03-16 |language=en-GB |archive-date=2023-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203142249/https://www.project-pressure.org/artists/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Of particular concern in recent studies has been the loss of not only ice but of biological heritage in the form of microrganisms contained within the ice and soil.<ref>{{Cite web |first1=Luigi |last1=Jorio |first2=Céline |last2=Stegmüller |first3=Michele |last3=Andina |date=2025-01-05 |title=Secrets revealed by melting Swiss glaciers could eat plastic and cure disease |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/climate-change/research-revealed-melting-swiss-glaciers-could-eat-plastic-and-cure-disease/88656119 |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=SWI swissinfo.ch |language=en}}</ref>
==See also== *List of glaciers in Switzerland *List of glaciers *Retreat of glaciers since 1850 *Swiss Alps
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * [http://www.swisseduc.ch/glaciers/index-en.html Rhône Glacier] at Glaciers online * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070802003626/http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17443 Rhône Glacier] at NASA Earth Observatory
==External links== *[http://www.lead.ethz.ch/lernobj.php?id=3 Simulation of the shrinking of the glacier] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160907164024/http://www.lead.ethz.ch/lernobj.php?id=3 |date=2016-09-07 }} *[http://glaciology.ethz.ch/messnetz/glaciers/rhone.html Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network: Rhône Glacier] - with length variation measurements since 1879 *{{Commons category-inline}} *[http://www.gletschervergleiche.ch/Pages/ImageCompareDet.aspx?Id=33 Interactive repeat photo comparisons of the Rhône Glacier] {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhone Glacier}} Category:Glaciers of Valais Category:Glaciers of the Alps Category:Rhône Category:Tourist attractions in Valais