Swiss glaciers 1850–2100

Glacier du Sonadon

IceIce lost since 1850This glacier

Past extents come from the Swiss Glacier Inventories of 1850, 1931, 1973 and 2016. Future extents are illustrative: each glacier’s projected area (OGGM, median of CMIP6 climate models) is removed from its lowest ice upward. About the scenarios.

Inventory 0.924km² Area in 2016 · ±0% compared with 2016
Area 20160.92km²169th largest
Elevation3,069–3,808mmedian 3,395 m
Length1.5kmfaces south-west
Area since 1850−18%1.12 km² in 1850
Tongue since 1890−8m1 measurements
Thinning 1985–2023−15maverage surface lowering
Ice left in 21000%of 2020 volume, SSP2-4.5

Glacier du Sonadon is one of 1,400 glaciers in Switzerland, covering 0.92 km² in the canton of Valais. Its ice spans 3,069 to 3,808 m and faces south-west. Its meltwater drains to the Rhône and on to the Mediterranean. In 1850, at the end of the Little Ice Age, it covered 1.12 km²; by 2016 it had lost 18% of that area. Its tongue has been measured 1 times since 1890. In total it has retreated 8 m, about 8.0 m a year. Between 1985 and 2023 its surface dropped by 15 m on average. With strong climate protection (SSP1-2.6), about 6% of its 2020 ice would remain in 2100. With very high emissions (SSP5-8.5) it would be gone around 2059. Its meltwater peaked around 2020.

Future

What remains in 2100

SSP1-2.6 · low emissions6%32% left in 2050
SSP2-4.5 · intermediate emissionsGoneIce gone around 2080
SSP3-7.0 · high emissionsGoneIce gone around 2069
SSP5-8.5 · very high emissionsGoneIce gone around 2059
SSP1-2.6SSP2-4.5SSP3-7.0SSP5-8.5
0%25%50%75%100%202020402060208021006%0%0%0%
Ice volume as a share of 2020, median of 14 climate models; shaded: middle two-thirds of models. OGGM v1.6.

Meltwater

Million m³ of water per year, 11-year mean

01.02.03.04.020102030205020702090
Water leaving the glacier area each year: ice melt, snowmelt and rain. It rises while the glacier melts faster, then falls as the ice runs out: “peak water”.
Measured

The record

Length change since 1890

Position of the glacier tongue, measured in the field almost every year. Hover for each measurement.

−8 m−6 m−4 m−2 m0 m1890−8 m
GLAMOS Swiss Glacier Length Change, release 2025.

Thinning since 1985

Average change in surface height, from comparing elevation models made from maps, aerial images and laser scans.

−20 m−15 m−10 m−5 m0 m1990200020102020−15 m
GLAMOS Swiss Glacier Volume Change, release 2025.
Profile

Facts

Area over time

18501.123 km²19311.411 km²19731.076 km²20160.924 km²2050 · SSP2-4.50.494 km²2100 · SSP2-4.50.007 km²

Past areas are the ice body this glacier belonged to at the time. Projections: OGGM median, SSP2-4.5.

SGI id
B84-11
Canton
Valais
River
Rhône → Mediterranean
Basin
Dranse
Location
45.9310° N, 7.2920° E · swisstopo map
Elevation
3,069–3,808 m, median 3,395 m
Slope, aspect
25°, south-west
Debris cover
0.06 km² (6% of the area)
Inventory image
2016
Ice volume (model)
≈ 0.031 km³ in 2020 (OGGM)
RGI ids
RGI60-11.02901
Nearby

More in the Dranse basin

All glaciers in this basin →

Sources

Sources

  1. Linsbauer et al. (2021). The new Swiss Glacier Inventory SGI2016. Frontiers in Earth Science 9. doi.org/10.3389/feart.2021.704189
  2. Mannerfelt et al. (2022). Halving of Swiss glacier volume since 1931 observed from terrestrial image photogrammetry. The Cryosphere 16. doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3249-2022
  3. GLAMOS – Glacier Monitoring Switzerland. www.glamos.ch
  4. Zekollari et al. (2024). Twenty-first century global glacier evolution under CMIP6 scenarios and the role of glacier-specific observations. The Cryosphere 18 (OGGM v1.6 projections). tc.copernicus.org/articles/18/5045/2024/

Relief: swisstopo swissALTIRegio. 1850 and 1973 outlines: Maisch et al. (2000), Müller et al. (1976), Paul (2004). Length, mass balance and volume change: GLAMOS releases 2025. All sources and methods.

← Larger: Rotfirngletscher NSmaller: Längfluegletscher zentral →