{"id":1683,"date":"2025-04-02T07:32:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T07:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/icewalk.it\/glaciers-and-moraines\/"},"modified":"2026-01-28T15:02:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T15:02:27","slug":"glaciers-and-moraines","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/icewalk.it\/en\/glaciers-and-moraines\/","title":{"rendered":"Glaciers and Moraines"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Glaciers and moraines<\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fragile witnesses of climate change<\/h3>\n

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Above Lago Verde, between Cima Sternai South and Cima di Fontana Bianca, lie three small glaciers now in an advanced state of retreat: the Lago Verde Glacier, the Fontana Bianca Glacier and the Lorchenferner. Together they form a striking natural archive, clearly showing the impact of climate change on the Alps.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Lago Verde Glacier<\/b>, almost entirely covered by debris today, still displays prominent lateral moraines from the Little Ice Age around 1850, when the ice extended down to the lake.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Fontana Bianca Glacier<\/b>, the largest <\/span>of the three glaciers and one of the best-studied glaciers in South Tyrol, has lost more than 85% of its surface area over approximately 150 years\u2014from about 160 hectares in the mid-19th century to just 21 hectares in 2023. In addition to its retreat, the glacier has become increasingly fragmented, a clear indication of its ongoing disintegration. By 2020, the mean ice thickness had decreased to only 16 meters, with a maximum thickness of 30 meters. In the subsequent years, the glacier experienced unprecedented mass loss; in 2022 alone, more than 4 meters of ice melted.<\/span><\/p>\n

The small Lorchenferner<\/b> has almost completely vanished, leaving behind exposed rock and debris.<\/span><\/p>\n

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According to scientific projections, the glaciers of Ultimo Valley will have completely disappeared by 2040. They are more than receding ice masses: they are climate indicators, archives of natural history, and vital water resources for alpine ecosystems. Their decline is a clear call to action \u2013 urging immediate steps for climate mitigation and adaptation to protect this fragile yet essential heritage.<\/h3>\n

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1983<\/span><\/h4>\n

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2020<\/span><\/h4>\n

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2024<\/span><\/h4>\n

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A look at the current situation<\/a><\/span><\/h6>\n

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Further information<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Glaciers at risk of extinction: <\/h6>\n

glaciercasualtylist.rice.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Local and global deglaciation projections: <\/h6>\n

goodbye-glaciers.info\/regions<\/a>
\ngoodbye-glaciers.info\/glaciers\/<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n

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