Rhone Glacier
The Rhone Glacier (Gletscher) in the Swiss Alps is the source of the Rhône River and is a well-known monitored glacier. It has retreated dramatically over the last century, with exposed forefields and significant ice loss, and is much reduced from its Little Ice Age maximum.
Swiss glacier monitoring documents steady thinning and area loss, driven by warmer summers and reduced snow accumulation. The retreat has exposed the glacier bed and changed tourist access and hydrology at the glacier’s snout.