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416:) on the south side of the Monte Rosa massif. The Gorner Glacier proper is found on the north side. Now the prominent flow visible from Gornergrat is properly called the Grenzgletscher and can no longer be considered part of the Gorner Glacier. The Monte Rosa Glacier in the middle has also lost touch with the Gorner Glacier. This can be seen in a comparison of photographs over the years:
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504:: The loss of thickness (about 200 m (660 ft)) of the lower Gorner Glacier since its major expansion in 1859 is recognizable on the south flank of the Gornergrat by the leftover and much higher lateral moraine (the light-coloured part above the grey flank); as seen from the Klein Matterhorn.
306:
to the south is nowadays the main contributor to the lower Gorner
Glacier. The Gorner Glacier's upper part is almost already disconnected from its lower part. The former tributaries Breithorngletscher, Triftjigletscher, and Unterer Theodulgletscher lost their connections to the Gorner Glacier during
348:
There are also notable surface features including crevasses and "table top" forms where large surface boulders have been left stranded above the glaciers surface. These tabular rocks are supported by ice that the boulder has sheltered from melting that has affected the more exposed surrounding ice.
489:: The connection between the Gorner Glacier and Grenzgletscher is still present and the moraine is still fed by the former; the old Monte Rosa Hut (2,795 m) is recognizable above the left over, north-eastern lateral moraine of the Grenzgletscher (in the middle, right).
271:. It is about 12.4 km (7.7 mi) long (2014) and 1 to 1.5 km (0.62 to 0.93 mi) wide. The entire glacial area of the glacier related to Gorner Glacier is 53 km (20 sq mi) (2007), which makes it the second largest glacial system in the
405:—in this case, dramatically so. As of 2014, Gorner Glacier had been retreating about 30 metres (98 ft) every year, but with a record loss of 290 metres (950 ft) in 2008. Since its last major expansion (in the modern era, after the
474:: Aerial photo from August 1994 with Gorner Glacier on the left and Grenzgletscher on the right, framing the Monte Rosa massif in the middle. The Monte Rosa Glacier no longer joins the Gorner Glacier.
341:
A notable feature of this glacier is the
Gornersee, an ice marginal lake at the confluence area of the Gorner Glacier and Grenzgletscher. This lake fills every year and drains in summer, usually as a
459:: Swiss Army patrol during World War I overlooking the confluence of the Gorner Glacier and Grenzgletscher; even the Monte Rosa Glacier in the middle still has contact to the Gorner Glacier.
291:(nowadays by far its main tributary, now disconnected from the Gorner Glacier proper), Zwillingsgletscher, Schwärzegletscher, Breithorngletscher, Triftjigletscher, and
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444:(built 1894–95) would have been found just few metres above the north-eastern border of the Grenzgletscher (in the middle; compare with the third picture).
519:: The upper Gorner Glacier is losing contact with the Grenzgletcher; the middle moraine in particular will no longer be fed by its originally upper part.
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287:) the Gorner Glacier (after which the whole system is named, although the upper part is now disconnected from the lower part), Monte Rosa Glacier,
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As of about 2015, the Gorner
Glacier had retreated to the point where it lost touch with its main tributary: the Grenzgletscher (English:
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Like almost all other glaciers in the Alps, and most glaciers on the globe as well, the Gorner
Glacier is retreating as a result of
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Gorner
Glacier (left), central Monte Rosa massif with Monte Rosa Glacier, and the confluence with the Grenzgletscher (2006)
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440:(photomechanical print): The upper Gorner Glacier (left) is still the main tributary of the lower part; the old
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591:"Surface ice motion deviating toward the margins during speed-up events at Gornergletscher, Switzerland"
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the twentieth century; the
Unterer Theodulgletscher became disconnected in the 1980s.
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itself. However, most of its water is captured by a water catchment station of the
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345:. This is one of only a few glacial lakes in the Alps exhibiting this behavior.
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The glacier as well as the surrounding mountains can be seen from the
650:"Gornergletscher length variation measurements between 1882 and 2017"
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574:. Swiss Glacier Monitoring, VAW/ETHZ & EKK/SCNAT. Archived from
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system; however, in length it ranks third behind the
Aletsch and
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389:(3,100 m or 10,200 ft), connected from Zermatt by the
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337:) in the back (as seen near from the Old Monte Rosa Hut, 2006)
589:
Sugiyama, S.; Bauder, A.; Riesen, P.; Funk, M. (2010-07-27).
659:. Swiss Glacier Monitoring, VAW/ETHZ & EKK/SCNAT. 2014
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19:"Gorner" redirects here. For the surname, see
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374:power plant. This water then ends up in the
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213:60 km (23 sq mi) (1973)
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295:(the last three now disconnected).
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657:GLAMOS Glacier Monitoring Network
221:12.4 km (7.7 mi) (2014)
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16:Glacier on the Monte Rosa massif
595:Journal of Geophysical Research
572:"Gornergletscher, Zermatt (VS)"
534:List of glaciers in Switzerland
544:Retreat of glaciers since 1850
255:found on the west side of the
1:
298:The Grenzgletscher (English:
109:Show map of Canton of Valais
363:, which flows down through
343:glacial lake outburst flood
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378:, the main reservoir of
293:Unterer Theodulgletscher
79:Show map of Switzerland
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285:clockwise on this map
1122:Glaciers of the Alps
607:10.1029/2009JF001509
194:45.96972°N 7.80167°E
407:last glacial period
190: /
1117:Glaciers of Valais
1033:Monte Rosa Glacier
1026:Zwillingsgletscher
1011:Breithorngletscher
984:Tiefmatten Glacier
972:Schonbielgletscher
962:Matterhorn Glacier
866:Tête de Valpelline
683:glaciology.ethz.ch
391:Gornergrat Railway
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331:Zwillingsgletscher
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1050:Hohlichtgletscher
1016:Schwärzegletscher
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281:Fiescher Glaciers
257:Monte Rosa massif
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199:45.96972; 7.80167
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1081:Klein Matterhorn
1045:Mellichgletscher
1006:Triftjigletscher
977:Stockjigletscher
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539:List of glaciers
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675:External links
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601:(F3): F03010.
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403:global warming
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380:Grande Dixence
369:Grande Dixence
319:Border Glacier
315:Grenzgletscher
300:Border Glacier
289:Grenzgletscher
251:) is a valley
241:Gorner Glacier
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1060:Ried Glacier
1055:Bisgletscher
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861:Tête Blanche
856:Dent Blanche
846:Zinalrothorn
689:swisseduc.ch
661:. Retrieved
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576:the original
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335:Twin Glacier
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916:Allalinhorn
831:Brunegghorn
776:St. Niklaus
731:Settlements
376:Lac des Dix
357: [
269:Switzerland
197: /
172:Coordinates
165:Switzerland
1111:Categories
1096:Schwarzsee
1076:Gornergrat
936:Lenzspitze
906:Strahlhorn
901:Monte Rosa
876:Matterhorn
781:Herbriggen
663:2022-08-31
616:2115/44748
555:References
549:Swiss Alps
387:Gornergrat
333:(English:
329:above the
317:(English:
275:after the
229:Retreating
182:45°58′11″N
941:Nadelhorn
926:Täschhorn
881:Breithorn
841:Weisshorn
819:Mountains
795:Gasenried
751:Riffelalp
625:0148-0227
457:1914–1918
438:1890–1900
259:close to
955:Glaciers
921:Alphubel
826:Barrhorn
786:Mattsand
528:See also
185:7°48′6″E
157:Location
1069:Tourism
946:Balfrin
896:Liskamm
836:Bishorn
800:Grächen
755:Zum See
747:Findeln
738:Zermatt
436:Around
365:Zermatt
354:Gornera
304:Liskamm
263:in the
261:Zermatt
253:glacier
891:Castor
886:Pollux
810:Törbel
623:
327:Pollux
323:Castor
245:German
226:Status
218:Length
161:Valais
21:Görner
771:Randa
766:Täsch
759:Zmutt
653:(PDF)
361:]
805:Embd
743:Ried
638:Foto
621:ISSN
517:2012
502:2007
487:2005
472:1994
325:and
273:Alps
239:The
210:Area
149:Type
931:Dom
611:hdl
603:doi
599:115
1113::
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359:de
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740:(
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243:(
23:.
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