Abortion glacier in Blatten: Climate change threatens our village!

Abortion glacier in Blatten: Climate change threatens our village!

A dramatic event has hit the small Swiss village of Blatten strongly: a massive abortion has almost completely destroyed the village last week. Over three million cubic meters of rock, ice and torn material have fallen into the valley around 1000 meters of altitude, which shaped the floor within a few minutes. Fortunately, thanks to an early warning system, around 300 inhabitants: inside of the leaf days earlier, it was evacuated, but a man continues to be missing. The situation in Blatten is tense because the Lonza river was stowed through the stormed rock and ice, which led to the creation of a new lake. This lake rises quickly and now threatens additional communities.

The geographer Margreth Keiler and the glaciologist Andrea Fischer from the ÖAW emphasize that the situation must be observed closely in the coming days and weeks. Fischer speaks of a cascade event in which one incident entails the next. Similar developments in the Alps are piling up and climate change is a central factor, even if it is not the sole trigger.

climate change drives glacier breakdowns

As the expert explains: The increase in temperatures leads to the fact that the interchangeably in the permafrost floor shifts deeper and deeper into the mountains. Melting water penetrates into rock gaps, increases tensions in the rock and thus endangers the stability. Such signs of adaptations are not an isolated case; Similar events in the Alps have occurred in recent years. Almost 500 meters high is the rock wall above the birch glacier, which has become unstable by melting the permafrost, which is seen as one of the main causes for the abortion. The permafrost, which has a decisive stabilization function for mountain regions, Taut and leads to natural hazards such as rock falls and soil deformations.

In Austria there are currently no comparable situations to be observed, but similar events are not excluded. Austria's settlements are usually further away from glaciers, but the threat from climate change also affects our country. There are already signs of an increase in stone strokes, murgeon lengths and unstable glacier tongues. The scientists are therefore demanding that Austria deal strategically with these new natural hazards and set up an evidence -based warning system for mass movements and natural hazards. In other Alpine countries such as Switzerland, there are already better interfaces between science, administration and the population in terms of preventive measures and adjustments.

The need for adaptation measures

The damage caused by the latest natural events are considerable. Professor Dr. Michael Krautblatter from the Technical University of Munich emphasizes that structural measures such as avalanche protection walls reach their limits and are often not sufficient. The installation of early warning systems at endangered locations is regarded as a necessary measure to minimize future damage and to ensure the safety of the population. The population must also be informed about the risks and it is important to develop adaptation options for those affected. Climate change has arrived in Austria and will also cause such events if no effective measures are taken.

The Blatten case thus represents an urgent appeal to politics, science and society to deal more intensively with the climatic challenges and actively act in order to increase security in the Alps.