Switzerland’s glaciers lost more than 5% of their total ice volume in 2026 after a winter with very little snow and a summer with record-breaking heatwaves. The Aletsch Glacier, which is Switzerland’s largest glacier, recorded its biggest melt on record in 2026, while the Rhône Glacier and Clariden Glacier also recorded their greatest melt ever in the same year.
Swiss Glacier System
Switzerland has about 1,400 glaciers, and most of them are located in the Alps. The Aletsch Glacier lies in the Bernese Alps and is the largest glacier in the country by area and ice volume. Glacier thickness in Switzerland is measured through field surveys, aerial observations, and remote sensing methods used by glacier monitoring services.
2026 Melt Data
Between the 2025 and 2026 seasons, the volume of glacial ice in Switzerland shrank by 5.5%. Average glacier thickness across the country decreased by 2.5 to 4 metres in 2026, and some glacier tongues lost up to 10 metres of ice. Nearly 20% of Switzerland’s total glacier volume has vanished in the past five years.
GLAMOS and Glacier Monitoring
Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland, known as GLAMOS, is the national service that tracks glacier mass balance, length change, and ice volume. Matthias Huss serves as the director of GLAMOS and stated in October 2026 that 2026 was an extreme year for glaciers. GLAMOS has recorded successive extreme melt years since 2022.
Important Facts for Exams
- The Aletsch Glacier is the largest glacier in Switzerland and is located in the Bernese Alps.
- Glacier mass balance is a standard scientific measure used to assess gain or loss of ice in a glacier.
- The Rhône Glacier and Clariden Glacier are among the well-known Swiss glaciers that have been monitored for long-term change.
- Switzerland’s glaciers are part of the Alpine cryosphere, which includes snow, ice, and permafrost in mountain regions.
Glacier Loss and Water Release
The melt during May to September 2026 released about 2.2 trillion litres of water from Swiss glaciers. Several smaller glaciers, including Bella Tola in Valais and Griessfirn in Glarus, disappeared completely in 2026.
