Travel to Zermatt, Switzerland to see evidence of climate change, specifically the ongoing global warming that has been melting the glaciers around the Matterhorn similar to glaciers worldwide.  Although glaciers have naturally advanced and retreated repeatedly over thousands of years in the past, their retreat during the past few decades has been accelerating, mostly due to higher temperatures caused by increased amounts of carbon dioxide from human activity according to United Nations scientific studies. Glaciers are very sensitive to changes in climate, and resulting advances or retreats can be measured and easily seen.  Therefore, scientific measurements of glaciers and geologic features resulting from glacial retreat are convincing evidence of climate change.

 

Zermatt is a world-class year-round resort.  While you enjoy this resort, you can easily observe many glaciers and learn about glacial retreat.  The extensive ski lifts are available all year, particularly during the months when glaciers are best seen without winter's snow cover.  These lifts take you to numerous lift stations and hiking trails where you can see the glaciers and their many retreat features.

 

Zermatt's easy access has resulted in numerous scientific studies about its major glaciers.  Data from over 100 years of length measurements for three major glaciers show how these glaciers have retreated and how their melting is accelerating.  Scientific studies also have dated the advance and retreat cycles during the past 10,000 years.  Our understanding, therefore, rests on extensive scientific information gathered over a long period of time.