Glaciers in the Swiss Alps are covered with blankets that block UV rays to prevent melting. This measure is an attempt to protect ancient glaciers from global warming and the intense heat that has plagued the European continent.
Europe is currently going through a major heat wave, with fires raging in Portugal, Spain and France. It is also exceptionally warm in Switzerland with temperatures in excess of 30°C.
The Rhone Glacier is an important source of tourism in the region due to its easy access and ice cave. Temperatures are currently measured from about 17 to 20 degrees. It is the source of the Rhone River, and it also provides water for the well-known Lake Geneva.
Blankets are estimated to reduce snowmelt by up to 70%. This measure is necessary, because about 1,300 meters of ice has melted in the past 120 years. Switzerland fears losing all of its glaciers by 2100.
Other glaciers in the country have also been covered in blankets, such as the glacier on Mount Tittlesberg in central Switzerland. Gurschengletscher will be covered as soon as he is threatened.
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