Swiss glaciers 1850–2100

Vadret Calderas

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 0.606km² Area in 2016 · ±0% compared with 2016
Area 20160.61km²223rd largest
Elevation2,779–3,263mmedian 3,082 m
Length0.8kmfaces north
1850 ice body2.9km²now 3 glaciers
Tongue since 1894−1,661m76 measurements
Thinning 1991–2022−32maverage surface lowering
Ice left in 21000%of 2020 volume, SSP2-4.5

Vadret Calderas is one of 1,400 glaciers in Switzerland, covering 0.61 km² in the canton of Graubünden. Its ice spans 2,779 to 3,263 m and faces north. Its meltwater drains to the Inn and on to the Black Sea. In 1850 it was part of a larger ice body of 2.9 km², which has since split into 3 glaciers covering 0.9 km² in 2016 (−69%). Its tongue has been measured 76 times since 1894. In total it has retreated 1,661 m, about 12.9 m a year. Between 1991 and 2022 its surface dropped by 32 m on average. With strong climate protection (SSP1-2.6), about 0% of its 2020 ice would remain in 2100. With very high emissions (SSP5-8.5) it would be gone around 2046. Its meltwater peaked around 2020.

Future

What remains in 2100

SSP1-2.6 · low emissionsGoneIce gone around 2050
SSP2-4.5 · intermediate emissionsGoneIce gone around 2047
SSP3-7.0 · high emissionsGoneIce gone around 2047
SSP5-8.5 · very high emissionsGoneIce gone around 2046
SSP1-2.6SSP2-4.5SSP3-7.0SSP5-8.5
0%25%50%75%100%202020402060208021000%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 1894

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

−2,000 m−1,500 m−1,000 m−500 m0 m1900192019401960198020002020−1,661 m
GLAMOS Swiss Glacier Length Change, release 2025.

Thinning since 1991

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

−40 m−30 m−20 m−10 m0 m199520002005201020152020−32 m
GLAMOS Swiss Glacier Volume Change, release 2025.
Profile

Facts

Area over time

18502.913 km²19312.048 km²19731.064 km²20160.606 km²2050 · SSP2-4.50.005 km²2100 · SSP2-4.50.000 km²

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

SGI id
E35-17
Canton
Graubünden
River
Inn → Black Sea
Basin
Inn
Location
46.5260° N, 9.7010° E · swisstopo map
Elevation
2,779–3,263 m, median 3,082 m
Slope, aspect
19°, north
Debris cover
0.06 km² (10% of the area)
Inventory image
2015
Ice volume (model)
≈ 0.018 km³ in 2020 (OGGM)
RGI ids
RGI60-11.01549
In 1850 joined with
Piz Calderas, Vadret d'Err S
Nearby

More in the Inn 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.

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