If you have been hiking in the Swiss Alps in the last 10-15 years, you may have realized that the glaciers are not very white, but rather grayish – black and dirty. But what’s this stuff on the ice? This is exactly what I am interested in, because there are many different theories, such as rocks, algae, dirt… In any case, all of this material influences the ice underneath, maybe accelerating melting, or maybe protecting it from the Sun’s radiation.
This summer school is an opportunity for me to come see glaciers in Alaska and to meet other young fellows that work and experience similar things, and chat as you would chat with someone about your favorite travel stories. It’s about sharing passion and experiences, but also to learn from each other and to hear stories about others’ projects. So, you can imagine how exciting such a summer school far away from home is, compared to normal classes back home.
So, coming back to the “dirty glaciers” in Switzerland – they are actually not the only dirty glaciers on the globe. We also have dirty glaciers in the Himalayas, the Andes, and the Rocky Mountains. Just what are these materials actually doing to the glacier? It’s similar to what you feel if you sit outside in the Sun with a white t-shirt on, and then change into a black t-shirt. You feel much warmer in the black t-shirt, right? This is the same way that the glaciers feel, and their reaction is enhanced melting. Regardless of what these materials are or how they get onto the ice, they affect people living in the surrounding areas, as many regions depend strongly on these glaciers for drinking water. As we all get thirsty, at some point this topic will maybe affect more of us than we thought.
– Kathrin, Fribourg University, Switzerland