Scientists have linked several heatwaves to climate change, and now Switzerland is witnessing an accelerated melting of its alpine glaciers.
In early August, record-breaking temperatures in the Alps led to the discovery of ‘surprise’ horrific truths.
Hikers have discovered human remains and objects among the melting glaciers of Switzerland. Local authorities documented over 300 occurrences of persons going missing in canton Valais since 1925, with two-thirds possibly disappearing in the mountains or on glaciers.
According to the Nature World News report, more bodies have been discovered in recent weeks in the high elevations as glaciers retreat due to the summer’s warm weather. Early in August, human remains were found on the Chessjen glacier in the southern canton of Valais, and a week earlier, a body was discovered on the Stockji glacier close to the tourist town of Zermatt, northwest of the Matterhorn.
A destroyed plane that had crashed on the Aletsch glacier and had been locked in the ice for more than 50 years was one of the items found by mountaineers. The parts, which were found on Thursday by a mountain guide, were found to have originated from the wreckage of a Piper Cherokee aircraft, which was registered HB-OYL on June 30, 1968. Experts anticipate that as massive ice sheets continue to recede at an increasing rate, more bodies and things will appear on glaciers.
According to Robert Bolognesi, director of Meteorisk and an expert on snow, “Climate change increases the melting of glaciers and accelerates the movement of a glacier,” “So bodies will be directed more quickly towards the bottom of the glacier.” The numbers are probably going to increase as more people go hiking in the mountains and cross glaciers.
“There will be many more remains appearing from now on than we have seen in the past,” said Bolognesi.
Neolithic wooden bows and quartz arrowheads, among other rare archaeological artifacts trapped in the ice, have been discovered in the Swiss glaciers. The discoveries are gathered and studied by a specialized archaeological service. And a new display featuring the well-preserved archaeological relics will feature the unique discovery.
“If you are on a glacier, any piece of wood you find is likely to have been brought there by a human. If the wood looks unusual and like it’s been worked upon by man, you should contact the archaeological service about it,” says curator of the Valais History Museum and archaeologist Pierre-Yves Nicod.
It is urged for hikers and mountaineers to report any future discoveries of strange items and remains while exploring the mountains or on glaciers. The Valais authorities even created the Icewatcher app, which is a mobile phone software that fulfills this goal.
The Swiss Alps have endured a brutal summer hot due to the lack of significant winter snowfall. The majority of the glaciers in central Switzerland will have completely vanished by 2090 owing to climate change, and roughly 90% of the Hüfi Glacier in the Glarus Alps mountain range will have melted, predicts the environmental protection agency of canton Uri. The service noted that the destiny of the other glaciers in canton Uri and central Switzerland is the same.
In the next 50 to 100 years, according to scientists, Switzerland could experience a temperature increase of 3 degrees Celsius as a result of global warming.