Worst on record: Shocking Swiss glacier melt

The Swiss glaciers have lost an enormous amount of ice this summer, obliterating the previous record of the hot summer of 2003.

Around three times as much glacier ice melted this year, as in previous extreme years, with a 6.2% loss in the volume of ice. The Gries glacier, pictured above, is currently one of the fastest melting glaciers in Switzerland.

Previously, glaciologists described losses of more than 2% as "extreme". In 2003, the previous record year, a 3.8% loss was recorded, but this year's melting has well exceeded that figure.

On average across all ice streams, 3 to 4m of ice thickness melted away this year, with up to 10m in the glacier tongue area.

The year had already begun unfavourably for the glaciers. Hardly any snow fell in the previous winter, and across southern regions there was even a record low snowfall.

In summer, the numerous heat waves with high temperatures up to the summits caused the bare ice to melt rapidly.

The ice streams of the Alps are shrinking in the course of climate change and smaller glaciers are disappearing completely. Less foreseen, was the high rate at which the glaciers are currently retreating year after year.

Glacier models show that around 35 to 40% of today's ice volume will disappear by 2050. Looking at the balances of recent years, this still seems quite optimistic.

How things will develop towards the end of this century depends largely on future greenhouse gas emissions. Without consistent climate protection, in 80 years only remnants of ice will remain at the highest altitudes in the Alps.