Swiss glaciers 1850–2100

Schaligletscher W

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 1.75km² Area in 2016 · ±0% compared with 2016
Area 20161.75km²97th largest
Elevation2,860–4,020mmedian 3,323 m
Length1.7kmfaces south-east
1850 ice body2.6km²now 2 glaciers
Thinning 1982–2022−10maverage surface lowering
Ice left in 21002%of 2020 volume, SSP2-4.5

Schaligletscher W is the 97th-largest glacier in Switzerland, covering 1.75 km² in the canton of Valais. Its ice spans 2,860 to 4,020 m and faces south-east. Its meltwater drains to the Rhône and on to the Mediterranean. In 1850 it was part of a larger ice body of 2.6 km², which has since split into 2 glaciers covering 1.8 km² in 2016 (−32%). Between 1982 and 2022 its surface dropped by 10 m on average. With strong climate protection (SSP1-2.6), about 22% of its 2020 ice would remain in 2100. With very high emissions (SSP5-8.5) it would be gone around 2067. Its meltwater peaked around 2017.

Future

What remains in 2100

SSP1-2.6 · low emissions22%33% left in 2050
SSP2-4.5 · intermediate emissions2%32% left in 2050
SSP3-7.0 · high emissionsGoneIce gone around 2081
SSP5-8.5 · very high emissionsGoneIce gone around 2067
SSP1-2.6SSP2-4.5SSP3-7.0SSP5-8.5
0%25%50%75%100%2020204020602080210022%2%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

02.55.07.520102030205020702090
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

Thinning since 1982

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 m1990200020102020−10 m
GLAMOS Swiss Glacier Volume Change, release 2025.
Profile

Facts

Area over time

18502.60 km²19312.55 km²19731.48 km²20161.75 km²2050 · SSP2-4.50.62 km²2100 · SSP2-4.50.05 km²

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

SGI id
B58-04
Canton
Valais
River
Rhône → Mediterranean
Basin
Vispa
Location
46.0920° N, 7.7150° E · swisstopo map
Elevation
2,860–4,020 m, median 3,323 m
Slope, aspect
30°, south-east
Debris cover
0.07 km² (4% of the area)
Inventory image
2015
Ice volume (model)
≈ 0.037 km³ in 2020 (OGGM)
RGI ids
RGI60-11.02594, RGI60-11.02598
In 1850 joined with
Schaligletscher zentral
Nearby

More in the Vispa 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: ChelengletscherSmaller: Balfringletscher →