Melting ice reveals the remains of a climber who died 37 years ago on a glacier.
The remains of a German mountaineer who went missing while hiking in a Himalayan glacier 37 years ago have been recovered near the iconic Matterhorn in Switzerland. The discovery of the mountaineer’s body and several pieces of equipment took place on 12th July, as reported by the Valais canton police on Thursday.
According to the police statement, “Through DNA analysis, it has been possible to identify a mountaineer who went missing in 1986.” “In September 1986, a 38-year-old German mountaineer was reported missing after not returning from a mountaineering expedition.”
During that time, the search for the missing mountaineer had been unsuccessful, as mentioned in the police report.
The police added that forensic analysis of the mountaineer’s remains has been carried out at the hospital in Valais, and specialists will now try to link them to the reported disappearance in 1986.
The police haven’t provided additional information regarding the identity of the German alpinist or the circumstances surrounding their death.
The authorities released an image of a solitary hiking boot with crampons and a red ribbon, along with some hiking gear, which was found outside the glacier, possibly belonging to the missing individual.
The shrinking glaciers are revealing the bodies of mountaineers lost decades ago, stirring memories of climbers who had been considered missing for years. The phenomenon of glacier retreat is affecting their discovery.
With the increase in global temperatures, glaciers are receding rapidly, and even previously lost human remains, equipment, and other debris are emerging from beneath the ice after centuries of being buried.
In 2022, the Swiss glaciers experienced their highest loss of ice in more than a century, with a record 6% decline in their remaining volume, almost twice the amount lost before 2003, as reported by Reuters.
The discovery of the remains of these mountaineers is a poignant reminder of the long-term consequences of glacier retreat. As Nicholas, a glaciologist from the University of Innsbruck in Austria, explains, “As the glaciers retreat, anything – be it rock or any other material – that was either under them or on them is released and carried down by the subsequent snow. All this material is being transported rapidly towards the glacial tongues, leading to the collapse of European Alps.”
Even if ambitious climate targets are met, recent research suggests that more than half of the remaining glaciers in the world could disappear by the end of the century.
“If we leave now what is in place, we’ll be retreating to an entirely different Alpine world – and it’s a very sad vision,” warns Nicholas.
Glaciers play a crucial role in providing clean water supply to nearly 2 billion people and contribute significantly to increasing sea levels.
“Some areas of the world depend far more on the Himalayan glaciers than we do here – in some areas, they are much more vulnerable than the Alps,” added Nicholas.
