Английская Википедия:Aletsch Glacier
Шаблон:Short descriptionШаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Infobox glacier The Aletsch Glacier (Шаблон:Lang-de, Шаблон:IPA-de) or Great Aletsch Glacier (Шаблон:Lang) is the largest glacier in the Alps. It has a length of about Шаблон:Convert (2014),[1] a volume of Шаблон:Convert (2011), and covers about Шаблон:Convert (2011) in the eastern Bernese Alps in the Swiss canton of Valais.[2] The Aletsch Glacier is composed of four smaller glaciers converging at Konkordiaplatz, where its thickness was measured by the ETH to be still near Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Citation needed It then continues towards the Шаблон:Lang valley before giving birth to the Massa. The Aletsch Glacier is – like most glaciers in the world today – a retreating glacier. As of 2016, since 1980 it lost Шаблон:Convert of its length, since 1870 Шаблон:Convert, and lost also more than Шаблон:Convert of its thickness.[1]
The whole area, including other glaciers is part of the [[Jungfrau-Aletsch protected area|Шаблон:Lang Protected Area]], which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.[2][3]
Geography
The Aletsch Glacier is one of the many glaciers located between the cantons of Bern and Valais on the Bernese Alps located east of the Gemmi Pass. The whole area is considered to be the largest glaciated area in western Eurasia.[3] The Fiescher and Aar Glaciers lying on the east have similar extensions.
Except the Шаблон:Lang, all the highest summits of the Bernese Alps are located within the drainage basin of the glacier. The Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang constitute the northern boundary; the Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang lie on its east side; finally the culminating point, the Шаблон:Lang (Шаблон:Convert) is located on the west side.
Before reaching the maximum flow, four smaller glaciers converge at Konkordiaplatz:
- From the western mouth flows the Шаблон:Lang, which runs along the northern foot of the Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang. The Шаблон:Lang is supplied from the north by three notable firns: the Шаблон:Lang, the Шаблон:Lang, and the Шаблон:Lang. All of these firns have their starting points at around Шаблон:Convert. From the Шаблон:Lang to the Шаблон:Lang, the Шаблон:Lang is Шаблон:Convert long and is on average about Шаблон:Convert wide. On the west, the Шаблон:Lang connects with the Langgletscher over the Шаблон:Convert high glacier pass, the Шаблон:Lang, into the Шаблон:Lang.
- From the northwestern mouth flows the Шаблон:Lang. This firn in fact represents the straight continuation of the Aletsch Glacier, yet is the shortest of the four tributary glaciers. It has its origin on the southern flank of the Шаблон:Lang and at the eastern flank of the Шаблон:Lang with the Шаблон:Lang in-between. Up to the Шаблон:Lang, the Шаблон:Lang is a scarce Шаблон:Convert long, and returns to flank the Шаблон:Lang in the west and the Шаблон:Lang in the east. At its highest point, it is Шаблон:Convert wide, and further down it is still a good Шаблон:Convert wide.
- From the northern mouth flows the Шаблон:Lang ("Eternal snow field"), where its starting point takes the east flank of the Шаблон:Lang. In an elbow, it flanks from Шаблон:Lang in the west and the Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang in the east, flowing on to the Шаблон:Lang. Up to here, it is about Шаблон:Convert long and averages about Шаблон:Convert wide. The mouth at the Шаблон:Lang it follows over a rise with a descent from 25 to 30 percent; here, the glacier is sharply split. Against the north is the Шаблон:Lang over the snow-covered pass of the Шаблон:Lang (Шаблон:Convert), connected with the catchment area of the Шаблон:Lang (Wallis German for "Ice Sea"). Through the Шаблон:Lang (Шаблон:Convert) between the Шаблон:Lang and the Шаблон:Lang stands a connection to the Шаблон:Lang.
- From the east, the smallest firn arrives at the Шаблон:Lang: the Шаблон:Lang. Its northern arm begins below the Шаблон:Lang (Шаблон:Convert). The southern arm collects its snow and ice in the pot flanked by the Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang (Шаблон:Convert), and the Шаблон:Lang. Between the peaks Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang another glacier pass, the Шаблон:Lang (Шаблон:Convert), connects to the Шаблон:Lang. The Шаблон:Lang enters the Шаблон:Lang in a gap between the mountainsides Шаблон:Lang to the north and the Шаблон:Lang to the south. On the western side of the Шаблон:Lang the Konkordia hut (mountain hut) overlooks the whole Шаблон:Lang at an altitude of Шаблон:Convert.
South of Konkordiaplatz, the glacier runs towards the valley of the Шаблон:Lang (Upper Valais); on the east side, near Шаблон:Lang, lies a small glacier lake, Шаблон:Lang (Шаблон:Convert); from the western side used to enter the Шаблон:Lang, but since the end of the 20th century the connection with the Aletsch Glacier has been lost. Further down, until about 1880, the Шаблон:Lang did also enter the Aletsch Glacier at its mouth. But since then both glaciers have been retreating so far that they do not connect anymore (the Upper Aletsch Glacier did retreat about Шаблон:Convert from its connecting point with the Aletsch Glacier), but both serve now only as the source of the river Massa. The river flows through the [[Stausee Gibidum|Lake Шаблон:Lang]] (a reservoir, and coincidentally representing the glacier's mouth region in the 19th century, which is a retreat of more than Шаблон:Convert) and a gorge of the same name before reaching the Шаблон:Lang near Шаблон:Lang.
Tourism
The area of the Aletsch Glacier and some surrounding valleys is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, thus it is protected and the facilities are mostly restricted to the external zones. The region between Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang (which is called Aletsch Region) in Valais gives access to the lower part of the glacier. The Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang are popular view points and are accessible by cable car. The Шаблон:Lang river can be crossed since 2008 by a suspension bridge, thus allowing hikes between the left and the right part of the glacier.
The Шаблон:Lang railway station (3,450 m) gives a direct access to the upper Aletsch Glacier as well as the normal route to the Шаблон:Lang. It can be reached only from Шаблон:Lang in the canton Bern. Hiking paths pass the [[Konkordia Hut|Шаблон:Lang Hut]] or the Hollandia Hut, eventually reaching other glaciers in the massif.
On the Шаблон:Lang, at 2,065 metres between Шаблон:Lang and the glacier, is located the historic Villa Cassel, former summer residence of many famous and influential guests from the worlds of politics and finance. The house is now one of the centers of the environmental organization Pro Natura, which hosts a permanent exhibition about the site.[4]
Panorama
[[Image:070915 Panorama Aletschgletscher von Konkordiahütte.jpg|thumb|600px|center|Aletsch Glacier and Шаблон:Lang seen from [[Konkordia Hut|Шаблон:Lang Hut]] (Sept. 2007)]] Also at the mouth of the Шаблон:Lang from the east is the small but important Шаблон:Lang (3 km long and averaging 600 m wide). This firn is connected in the over the glacier pass Шаблон:Lang (3280 m high) to the [[Fiescher Glacier|Шаблон:Lang Glacier]] in the east.
From the Шаблон:Lang, the Aletsch Glacier has a width of approximately 1.5 km and moves at a rate of 180 m per year to the southeast on course with the Шаблон:Lang valley, bordering the Шаблон:Lang in the west and the great Шаблон:Lang in the east. It then takes a great right turn and bends ever closer to the southwest, running through the edge of the Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang of the Rhône valley. The lowest part of the great Aletsch Glacier is largely covered with detritus of the lateral and medial moraines. The glacier's toe currently lies about 1560 m high, far beneath the local tree line. From it springs the Massa stream, which flows through the Massa Canyon and is used to generate hydroelectric power. It continues through the upper half of the Шаблон:Lang, eventually entering into the Шаблон:Lang.
The great Aletsch Glacier shows considerable ice cover. At the Konkordiaplatz, it has an ice cover of more than 900 m, but as it moves to the south, the greater part of the ice melts, gradually decreasing the cover to around 150 m.
The characteristically dark medial moraine, situated almost in the middle of the glacier, runs protracted in two bands from the Шаблон:Lang along the whole length to the glacier's toe-zone. This medial moraine is collected from the ice of three large ice fields, which all run together. The westernmost medial moraine has been named the Шаблон:Lang, and the easternmost carries the name Шаблон:Lang.
Formation and evolution
The Aletsch Glacier resulted from the accumulation and compaction of snow. Glaciers generally form where snow and ice accumulation exceed snow and ice melt. As the snow and ice thicken it reaches a point where it begins to move due to a combination of gravity and pressure of the overlying snow and ice.
During the last glacial periods, the Aletsch Glacier was much larger than now. 18,000 years ago the lower part of the ridge, between Шаблон:Lang and the glacier, was completely covered by ice. Only the summits of the Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang and the Шаблон:Lang were above the glacier. After an important retreat, the glacier again advanced 11,000 years ago during the last glacial period. The glacier reached the Rhône valley, and its ice the Шаблон:Lang. Remaining moraines are still visible in the Aletsch Forest.
Since the last glaciation, the glacier generally retreated. However slight climatic changes happened and, in 1860, the glacier was 3 km longer and the ice level 200 m higher.[5]
As for many other glaciers, records show a major longer-term retreat trend.[1][6] The Aletsch Glacier receded by Шаблон:Convert since 1870, including Шаблон:Convert since 1980.[6] A record retreat of Шаблон:Convert happened in 2006 alone.[7][8]
Since the end of the Little Ice Age in 1850 the glacier has lost 20 percent of its ice mass, considerably less than other glaciers in Switzerland, which have lost up to 50 percent. This is explained with the large size of the Aletsch Glacier, which reacts much slower to climate change than smaller glaciers. It is however estimated that, by 2100, the glacier will have only one tenth of its 2018 ice mass.[9]
Photo opportunity
On August 18, 2007, photographer Spencer Tunick used hundreds of naked people in a "living sculpture" on the Aletsch Glacier in a photo shoot which he said was intended to draw attention to global warming and the shrinking of the world's glaciers. The temperature was about 10 °C (50 °F) at the time of the photo shoot. The 600 participants on the shrinking glacier said that they had volunteered for Tunick (a collaboration with Greenpeace) to let the world know about the effects of global warming on the melting Swiss glaciers.[10]
See also
- List of glaciers in Switzerland
- List of glaciers
- Retreat of glaciers since 1850
- Swiss Alps
- Vordersee
Notes and references
Further reading
External links
- Documentary film "Legacy of the Great Aletsch"
- Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage
- Grosser Aletschgletscher on Glaciers online
- Panoramic drawing of area including hikes
- Interactive repeat photo comparisons of the Aletsch Glacier
- Webcam overlooking Aletsch Glacier and Konkordiaplatz from Konkordia Hut
Шаблон:Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area Шаблон:Authority control
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