Skip to main content
Sep 23, 2019 - Energy & Environment

In photos: Hundreds mourn Swiss glacier's loss to global warming

Rebecca Falconer
The memorial took place as world leaders gathered in New York City for the UN climate summit this week.

People take part in a ceremony to mark the "death" of the Pizol glacier (Pizolgletscher) above Mels, eastern Switzerland, Sunday. All photos: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

Hundreds of people attended a memorial service Sunday to mark the loss of Pizol glacier in the eastern Swiss Alps to global warming, NPR reports.

Why it matters: ETH Zurich university glacier specialist Matthias Huss told CNN that Pizol had "disappeared" after losing 80-90% of its volume since 2006. An April study by European researchers warns that from 2017 to 2050, about 50% of glacier volume in the Alps will vanish, "largely independently of how much we cut our greenhouse gas emissions."

The memorial took place as world leaders gathered in New York City for the UN climate summit this week.
The memorial took place as world leaders gathered in New York City for the UN climate summit this week.
People take part in a symbolic farewell ceremony to mark the "death" of the Pizol glacier
An organizer of the "funeral march" tells CNN what's happening at Pizol is a "warning sign" about "what is going to happen if we don't change something about our behavior."
People take part in a ceremony to mark the 'death' of the Pizol glacier (Pizolgletscher) on September 22
The April study determined that more than 90% of Alpine glaciers will disappear by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions are left unchecked.
People take part in a ceremony to mark the 'death' of the Pizol glacier (Pizolgletscher) on September 22, 2019 above Mels, eastern Switzerland.

After 2050, "the future evolution of glaciers will strongly depend on how the climate will evolve," the study says.

Go deeper:

Go deeper