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421:) on the south side of the Monte Rosa massif. The Gorner Glacier proper is found on the north side. Now the prominent flow visible from Gornergrat is properly called the Grenzgletscher and can no longer be considered part of the Gorner Glacier. The Monte Rosa Glacier in the middle has also lost touch with the Gorner Glacier. This can be seen in a comparison of photographs over the years:
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509:: The loss of thickness (about 200 m (660 ft)) of the lower Gorner Glacier since its major expansion in 1859 is recognizable on the south flank of the Gornergrat by the leftover and much higher lateral moraine (the light-coloured part above the grey flank); as seen from the Klein Matterhorn.
311:
to the south is nowadays the main contributor to the lower Gorner
Glacier. The Gorner Glacier's upper part is almost already disconnected from its lower part. The former tributaries Breithorngletscher, Triftjigletscher, and Unterer Theodulgletscher lost their connections to the Gorner Glacier during
353:
There are also notable surface features including crevasses and "table top" forms where large surface boulders have been left stranded above the glaciers surface. These tabular rocks are supported by ice that the boulder has sheltered from melting that has affected the more exposed surrounding ice.
515:
494:: The connection between the Gorner Glacier and Grenzgletscher is still present and the moraine is still fed by the former; the old Monte Rosa Hut (2,795 m) is recognizable above the left over, north-eastern lateral moraine of the Grenzgletscher (in the middle, right).
276:. It is about 12.4 km (7.7 mi) long (2014) and 1 to 1.5 km (0.62 to 0.93 mi) wide. The entire glacial area of the glacier related to Gorner Glacier is 53 km (20 sq mi) (2007), which makes it the second largest glacial system in the
410:—in this case, dramatically so. As of 2014, Gorner Glacier had been retreating about 30 metres (98 ft) every year, but with a record loss of 290 metres (950 ft) in 2008. Since its last major expansion (in the modern era, after the
479:: Aerial photo from August 1994 with Gorner Glacier on the left and Grenzgletscher on the right, framing the Monte Rosa massif in the middle. The Monte Rosa Glacier no longer joins the Gorner Glacier.
346:
A notable feature of this glacier is the
Gornersee, an ice marginal lake at the confluence area of the Gorner Glacier and Grenzgletscher. This lake fills every year and drains in summer, usually as a
245:
464:: Swiss Army patrol during World War I overlooking the confluence of the Gorner Glacier and Grenzgletscher; even the Monte Rosa Glacier in the middle still has contact to the Gorner Glacier.
296:(nowadays by far its main tributary, now disconnected from the Gorner Glacier proper), Zwillingsgletscher, Schwärzegletscher, Breithorngletscher, Triftjigletscher, and
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449:(built 1894–95) would have been found just few metres above the north-eastern border of the Grenzgletscher (in the middle; compare with the third picture).
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524:: The upper Gorner Glacier is losing contact with the Grenzgletcher; the middle moraine in particular will no longer be fed by its originally upper part.
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292:) the Gorner Glacier (after which the whole system is named, although the upper part is now disconnected from the lower part), Monte Rosa Glacier,
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As of about 2015, the Gorner
Glacier had retreated to the point where it lost touch with its main tributary: the Grenzgletscher (English:
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790:
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358:
59:
406:
Like almost all other glaciers in the Alps, and most glaciers on the globe as well, the Gorner
Glacier is retreating as a result of
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89:
47:
Gorner
Glacier (left), central Monte Rosa massif with Monte Rosa Glacier, and the confluence with the Grenzgletscher (2006)
119:
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445:(photomechanical print): The upper Gorner Glacier (left) is still the main tributary of the lower part; the old
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596:"Surface ice motion deviating toward the margins during speed-up events at Gornergletscher, Switzerland"
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288:. Numerous smaller glaciers connect with the Gorner Glacier. Its (former) tributaries are (
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the twentieth century; the
Unterer Theodulgletscher became disconnected in the 1980s.
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itself. However, most of its water is captured by a water catchment station of the
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350:. This is one of only a few glacial lakes in the Alps exhibiting this behavior.
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The glacier as well as the surrounding mountains can be seen from the
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655:"Gornergletscher length variation measurements between 1882 and 2017"
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579:. Swiss Glacier Monitoring, VAW/ETHZ & EKK/SCNAT. Archived from
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system; however, in length it ranks third behind the
Aletsch and
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394:(3,100 m or 10,200 ft), connected from Zermatt by the
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342:) in the back (as seen near from the Old Monte Rosa Hut, 2006)
763:
594:
Sugiyama, S.; Bauder, A.; Riesen, P.; Funk, M. (2010-07-27).
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664:. Swiss Glacier Monitoring, VAW/ETHZ & EKK/SCNAT. 2014
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307:) between the central Monte Rosa massif and the
19:"Gorner" redirects here. For the surname, see
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379:power plant. This water then ends up in the
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357:The glacier is the source of the river
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213:60 km (23 sq mi) (1973)
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300:(the last three now disconnected).
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662:GLAMOS Glacier Monitoring Network
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221:12.4 km (7.7 mi) (2014)
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16:Glacier on the Monte Rosa massif
600:Journal of Geophysical Research
577:"Gornergletscher, Zermatt (VS)"
539:List of glaciers in Switzerland
647:
636:
587:
549:Retreat of glaciers since 1850
260:found on the west side of the
1:
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303:The Grenzgletscher (English:
109:Show map of Canton of Valais
7:
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368:, which flows down through
348:glacial lake outburst flood
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383:, the main reservoir of
298:Unterer Theodulgletscher
79:Show map of Switzerland
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290:clockwise on this map
1127:Glaciers of the Alps
612:10.1029/2009JF001509
194:45.96972°N 7.80167°E
412:last glacial period
190: /
1122:Glaciers of Valais
1038:Monte Rosa Glacier
1031:Zwillingsgletscher
1016:Breithorngletscher
989:Tiefmatten Glacier
977:Schonbielgletscher
967:Matterhorn Glacier
871:Tête de Valpelline
688:glaciology.ethz.ch
396:Gornergrat Railway
344:
336:Zwillingsgletscher
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1055:Hohlichtgletscher
1021:Schwärzegletscher
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286:Fiescher Glaciers
262:Monte Rosa massif
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199:45.96972; 7.80167
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1086:Klein Matterhorn
1050:Mellichgletscher
1011:Triftjigletscher
982:Stockjigletscher
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544:List of glaciers
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680:External links
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606:(F3): F03010.
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583:on 2016-08-12.
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419:Border Glacier
408:global warming
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385:Grande Dixence
374:Grande Dixence
324:Border Glacier
320:Grenzgletscher
305:Border Glacier
294:Grenzgletscher
256:) is a valley
241:Gorner Glacier
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996:Furgg Glacier
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972:Zmutt Glacier
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1091:Unterrothorn
1065:Ried Glacier
1060:Bisgletscher
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866:Tête Blanche
861:Dent Blanche
851:Zinalrothorn
694:swisseduc.ch
666:. Retrieved
661:
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581:the original
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340:Twin Glacier
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921:Allalinhorn
836:Brunegghorn
781:St. Niklaus
736:Settlements
381:Lac des Dix
362: [
274:Switzerland
197: /
172:Coordinates
165:Switzerland
1116:Categories
1101:Schwarzsee
1081:Gornergrat
941:Lenzspitze
911:Strahlhorn
906:Monte Rosa
881:Matterhorn
786:Herbriggen
668:2022-08-31
621:2115/44748
560:References
554:Swiss Alps
392:Gornergrat
338:(English:
334:above the
322:(English:
280:after the
229:Retreating
182:45°58′11″N
946:Nadelhorn
931:Täschhorn
886:Breithorn
846:Weisshorn
824:Mountains
800:Gasenried
756:Riffelalp
630:0148-0227
462:1914–1918
443:1890–1900
264:close to
246:‹See Tfd›
960:Glaciers
926:Alphubel
831:Barrhorn
791:Mattsand
533:See also
185:7°48′6″E
157:Location
1074:Tourism
951:Balfrin
901:Liskamm
841:Bishorn
805:Grächen
760:Zum See
752:Findeln
743:Zermatt
441:Around
370:Zermatt
359:Gornera
309:Liskamm
268:in the
266:Zermatt
258:glacier
896:Castor
891:Pollux
815:Törbel
628:
332:Pollux
328:Castor
250:German
226:Status
218:Length
161:Valais
21:Görner
776:Randa
771:Täsch
764:Zmutt
658:(PDF)
366:]
810:Embd
748:Ried
643:Foto
626:ISSN
522:2012
507:2007
492:2005
477:1994
330:and
278:Alps
239:The
210:Area
149:Type
936:Dom
616:hdl
608:doi
604:115
1118::
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243:(
23:.
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