Articles | Volume 26, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-3901-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-3901-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
18 Aug 2026
Research article |
| 18 Aug 2026
| 18 Aug 2026
Potential glacier contributions to the 2024 La Bérarde flood
Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW), ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), bâtiment ALPOLE, Sion, Switzerland
Mauro A. Werder
Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW), ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), bâtiment ALPOLE, Sion, Switzerland
Olivier Gagliardini
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, IGE, 38000 Grenoble, France
Ilaria Santin
Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW), ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), bâtiment ALPOLE, Sion, Switzerland
Raphael Moser
Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW), ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), bâtiment ALPOLE, Sion, Switzerland
Romain Hugonnet
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska
Antoine Blanc
Office National des Forêts, service de Restauration des Terrains de Montagne de l'Isère, 38000 Grenoble, France
Daniel Farinotti
Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW), ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), bâtiment ALPOLE, Sion, Switzerland
Related authors
Janosch Beer, Mylène Jacquemart, Matthias Huss, Ilaria Santin, Gabriela Clara Racz, Christophe Ogier, Saskia Gindraux, Leo Hösli, Raphael Moser, James Irving, Mauro Fischer, and Daniel Farinotti
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3042, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3042, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
Small Alpine glaciers can exhibit a mix of cold and temperate ice, a polythermal structure, which can promote hazardous conditions. We drilled into six small Swiss glaciers and measured ice temperatures in boreholes. We found polythermal conditions in three of six sites and show that the thermal structure is linked to firn cover loss. Our results suggest that polythermal glaciers may be more common in the Alps than previously recognised.
Laura Gabriel, Marian Hertrich, Christophe Ogier, Mike Müller-Petke, Raphael Moser, Hansruedi Maurer, and Daniel Farinotti
The Cryosphere, 19, 6261–6281, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-6261-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-6261-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Surface nuclear magnetic resonance (SNMR) is a geophysical technique directly sensitive to liquid water. We expand the limited applications of SNMR on glaciers by detecting water within Rhonegletscher, Switzerland. By carefully processing the data to reduce noise, we identified signals indicating a water layer near the base of the glacier, surrounded by ice with low water content. Our findings, validated by radar measurements, show SNMR's potential and limitations in studying water in glaciers.
Christophe Ogier, Mauro A. Werder, Matthias Huss, Isabelle Kull, David Hodel, and Daniel Farinotti
The Cryosphere, 15, 5133–5150, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5133-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5133-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Glacier-dammed lakes are prone to draining rapidly when the ice dam breaks and constitute a serious threat to populations downstream. Such a lake drainage can proceed through an open-air channel at the glacier surface. In this study, we present what we believe to be the most complete dataset to date of an ice-dammed lake drainage through such an open-air channel. We provide new insights for future glacier-dammed lake drainage modelling studies and hazard assessments.
Johannes Marian Landmann, Hans Rudolf Künsch, Matthias Huss, Christophe Ogier, Markus Kalisch, and Daniel Farinotti
The Cryosphere, 15, 5017–5040, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5017-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5017-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we (1) acquire real-time information on point glacier mass balance with autonomous real-time cameras and (2) assimilate these observations into a mass balance model ensemble driven by meteorological input. For doing so, we use a customized particle filter that we designed for the specific purposes of our study. We find melt rates of up to 0.12 m water equivalent per day and show that our assimilation method has a higher performance than reference mass balance models.
Cyrille Mosbeux, Peter Råback, Adrien Gilbert, Julien Brondex, Fabien Gillet-Chaulet, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Mondher Chekki, Olivier Gagliardini, and Gaël Durand
Geosci. Model Dev., 19, 8269–8288, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-8269-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-8269-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
Transport processes like rocks carried by ice flow and damage evolution – a proxy for crevasses – are key in ice sheet modeling and should occur without diffusion. Yet, standard numerical methods often blur these features. We explore a particle-based Semi-Lagrangian approach, comparing it to a Discontinuous Galerkin method, and show it can accurately simulate such transport when run at high enough resolution.
Adrien Gilbert, Fabrizio Troilo, Olivier Gagliardini, Christian Vincent, Paolo Perret, Luca Mondardini, Luc Piard, Olivier Laarman, and Emmanuel Le Meur
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4058, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4058, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Short summary
Short summary
This study reports on long-term temperature changes observed on the Whymper hanging glacier in Italy from 1997 to 2021, which are interpreted using a numerical modeling approach. Our results show that recent surface warming, driven by increased melting, has raised the glacier's basal temperature significantly, which could reach its melting point by 2050. However, this warming is partially offset by cooling from the mountain's cold north face, which may keep the glacier frozen and stable.
Sandra Wells, Ivan Utkin, Ian J. Hewitt, Daniel Farinotti, and Mauro A. Werder
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4310, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4310, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Short summary
Short summary
We present GlaDS-2, a new subglacial drainage model that builds upon GlaDS by including the regimes of ice uplift and free-surface flow. We demonstrate its capabilities by simulating the rapid drainage of a supraglacial lake, both for a synthetic setup and for North Lake in Greenland. Our results show the formation of a traveling subglacial water blister inducing transient ice uplift, which align well with observations, and capture free-surface flow at the ice margins and in the proglacial zone.
Nora Bergner, Grace Marsh, Kevin Barry, Larissa Lacher, Alexander Böhmländer, Joanna Alden, Carina Ahlqvist, Ianina Altshuler, Lisa Bröder, Daniel Farinotti, Lionel Favre, Coline Guillosson, Benjamin Heutte, Kristina Höhler, Roman Pohorsky, Julian Weng, and Julia Schmale
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 10557–10585, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-10557-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-10557-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
Dust from Greenlandic glacial outwash plains can form ice in clouds, a process relevant for climate. Its ice-nucleating activity varies strongly and is largely controlled by small amounts of biological material. During summer, the influence on atmospheric ice-nucleating particles is mostly local. Lower activity compared to other high-latitude dust sources highlights the need to account for regional differences in Arctic dust.
Michelle Marie Worek, David Wachs, Anja Eichler, Matthias Huss, Raphael Moser, Sabina Brütsch, Sönke Szidat, Margit Schwikowski, and Theo Manuel Jenk
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3356, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3356, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Short summary
Short summary
To assess whether current glacier loss in the Alps is unprecedented, we drilled ice cores from the Tödi summit glacier in Switzerland. We dated the ice with radionuclides and modelling, finding that the surface ice is from about 1960, and the deepest ice is 10,000 years old. Our results show that summit glaciers can preserve very old ice through warm periods, indicating local factors matter more than elevation, and some cold-based glaciers at risk of melting may preserve ancient climate data.
Robert Law, Mylène Jacquemart, Matthias Bühler, Mauro Angelo Werder, and Janosch Beer
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3329, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3329, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Short summary
Short summary
To understand how glaciers move and predict related hazards, we need detailed measurements of ice deformation. We tested a new approach using fibre-optic cables down a borehole drilled into a small Swiss Alpine glacier. The cables successfully tracked ice movement at an incredibly fine scale, supporting laboratory experiments showing nearly linear flow for ice close to its melting point. This method marks an important advance for studying glacier motion and predicting ice-related hazards.
Paul Fournier, Antoine Blanc, Juliette Blanchet, and Matthieu Lafaysse
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2497, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2497, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
When rain falls on snow, the combined effect of rainfall and snowmelt can generate flooding. Using hourly weather data across the French Alps over 1958–2024, we identified and characterized such rain-on-snow events and linked them to documented natural hazard events. While these events have become less frequent overall due to shorter snow seasons, the most intense ones have shifted toward lower, more populated elevations, meaning they are increasingly likely to impact communities.
Zhuo Wang, Neil Ross, Thomas Frank, Jamie Barnett, Ilaria Santin, Martin Houssais, Johanna Dahlkvist, and Nina Kirchner
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 18, 4241–4262, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-4241-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-4241-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
Under global warming, Sweden's remaining glaciers are shrinking rapidly, and all four Swedish reference glaciers (Mårmaglaciären, Storglaciären, Rabots glaciär, and Riukojietna) may disappear within this century. To better project their future evolution, we measured the ice thickness of the four glaciers using radio-echo sounding and mapped the bed topography beneath the ice. These maps provide essential insights into future landscapes, ecosystems, and policymaking.
Janosch Beer, Mylène Jacquemart, Matthias Huss, Ilaria Santin, Gabriela Clara Racz, Christophe Ogier, Saskia Gindraux, Leo Hösli, Raphael Moser, James Irving, Mauro Fischer, and Daniel Farinotti
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3042, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3042, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
Small Alpine glaciers can exhibit a mix of cold and temperate ice, a polythermal structure, which can promote hazardous conditions. We drilled into six small Swiss glaciers and measured ice temperatures in boreholes. We found polythermal conditions in three of six sites and show that the thermal structure is linked to firn cover loss. Our results suggest that polythermal glaciers may be more common in the Alps than previously recognised.
Ilaria Santin, Huw J. Horgan, Raphael Moser, Nanna Bjørnholt Karlsson, Faezeh M. Nick, Andreas Vieli, Anja Rutishauser, Hansruedi Maurer, and Daniel Farinotti
The Cryosphere, 20, 3435–3441, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3435-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3435-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
Ice thickness near Greenland’s coast is still poorly measured, yet it is vital for predicting sea level rise. We flew a helicopter ice-penetrating radar over three outlet glaciers in southern Greenland and mapped the glacier bed where basal reflections were clear. We measured ice up to about 340 meters thick, with reliable penetration typically to about 300 meters, providing new constraints that can improve regional bed maps.
Aaron Cremona, Matthias Huss, Johannes Marian Landmann, Mauro Marty, Marijn van der Meer, Christian Ginzler, and Daniel Farinotti
The Cryosphere, 20, 3111–3130, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3111-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3111-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
Our study provides daily mass balance estimates for every Swiss glacier from 2010–2024 using modelling, remote sensing observations, and machine learning. Over the period, Swiss glaciers lost nearly a quarter of their ice volume. The approach enables investigating the spatio-temporal variability of glacier mass balance in relation to the driving climatic factors.
Maud Bernat, Etienne Berthier, Amaury Dehecq, Romain Hugonnet, Joaquin M. C. Belart, Naomi Ochwat, Peter Kuipers Munneke, Elizabeth Case, Ted Scambos, Louis-Marie Gauer, and David Youssefi
The Cryosphere, 20, 3025–3049, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3025-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3025-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
The Antarctic Peninsula is a mountainous region containing an ice sheet and peripheral glaciers. Differences remain between the methods used to estimate its mass changes. We use thousands of digital elevation models derived from high resolution stereoscopic images to calculate a new estimate of mass changes. We find that between 2007 and 2021, the ice sheet lost -28±6Gt/a and its peripheral glaciers -14±3Gt/a. We highlight the importance of resolving fine-scale changes in complex coastal areas.
Pierre Mathiot, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Benoit Urruty, Fabien Gillet-Chaulet, Olivier Gagliardini, and Gaël Durand
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-927, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-927, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
How the Antarctic ice sheet responds to rapid ocean warming remains uncertain. To explore this, we used a coupled ocean–ice sheet model. We compared simulations under present-day conditions with simulations under strong future warming for 50 years, then returned to today’s climate. The ocean warmed quickly but recovered within decades. In contrast, several ice streams continued to retreat for centuries. This shows that even brief warming could cause lasting ice loss and sea-level rise.
Julien Brondex, Olivier Gagliardini, Adrien Gilbert, and Emmanuel Thibert
The Cryosphere, 20, 1655–1677, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1655-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1655-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate crevasse initiation by analyzing the artificial drainage of a water-filled cavity at Tête Rousse Glacier (Mont Blanc, France). Using a numerical model, we compute stress fields in response to water level variations in the cavity and compare them to observed crevasse patterns. Results show that a non-linear viscous rheology and a maximum principal stress criterion (with a stress threshold of 100–130 kPa) best predict crevasse occurrence.
Marin Kneib, Patrick Wagnon, Laurent Arnaud, Louise Balmas, Olivier Laarman, Bruno Jourdain, Amaury Dehecq, Emmanuel Lemeur, Fanny Brun, Andrea Kneib-Walter, Ilaria Santin, Laurane Charrier, Thierry Faug, Giulia Mazzotti, Antoine Rabatel, Delphine Six, and Daniel Farinotti
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-786, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-786, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
Avalanches are vital for glacier survival, yet their impact is difficult to quantify. We used low-cost cameras and drones to monitor an avalanche cone in the French Alps for two years. By accounting for ice flow, we found that avalanches can deposit 30 meters of snow annually – 50 times more than normal snowfall. This high-frequency data reveals that these cones fill until reaching a specific steepness, after which new snow slides further down to the base.
Nicolas Decoopman, Juliette Blanchet, Antoine Blanc, and Cécile Caillaud
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1202, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1202, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
This study evaluates the ability of the convection-permitting regional climate model AROME to reproduce precipitation extremes and their trends, at daily and hourly scales in France, over 1959–2022. Overall, the results highlight the added value of the explicit-convection model for extreme precipitation studies while underscoring its limitations for convective extremes.
Simon Filhol, Clément Misset, Noélie Bontemps, Diego Cusicanqui, Emmanuel Paquet, Marie Dumont, Olivier Gagliardini, Pascal Lacroix, Simon Gascoin, Guillaume Thirel, Julien Brondex, Pascal Hagenmuller, Eric Larose, Philipp Schoeneich, Denis Roy, Emmanuel Thibert, Nicolas Eckert, Félix de Montety, Robin Mainieri, Alexandre Hauet, Frédéric Gottardi, Johan Berthet, Alexandre Baratier, Frédéric Liébault, Małgorzata Chmiel, Guillaume Piton, Guillaume Chambon, Guillaume James, Philippe Frey, Philip Deline, Laurent Astrade, Christian Vincent, Dominique Laigle, Alain Recking, Fatima Karbou, Adrien Mauss, Mylène Bonnefoy-Demongeot, Firmin Fontaine, Mickael Langlais, Etienne Berthier, and Antoine Blanc
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-971, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-971, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
On June 21 2024, the village of La Bérarde, in the French Alps, was devastated by a flood destroying centuries old buildings. This study is an interdisciplinary work to decipher the causes and chronology of the event. The flood started with decadal rain falling on a thick snowpack. A lake observed on top of a glacier few days prior, had drained post event. With climate change, should we expect more similar compound events for alpine communities?
Marit van Tiel, Matthias Huss, Massimiliano Zappa, Tobias Jonas, and Daniel Farinotti
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 30, 23–43, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-23-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-23-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
The summer of 2022 was extremely warm and dry in Europe, severely impacting water availability. We calculated water balance anomalies for 88 glacierized catchments in Switzerland, showing that glaciers played a crucial role in alleviating the drought situation by melting at record rates, partially compensating for the lack of rain and snowmelt. By comparing 2022 with past extreme years, we show that while glacier meltwater remains essential during droughts, its contribution is declining.
Thomas Chauve, Florent Gimbert, Adrien Gilbert, Olivier Gagliardini, Luc Piard, Arnaud Reboud, Olivier Laarman, Paolo Perret, William Boffelli, Pietro Di Sopra, Luca Mondardini, and Fabrizio Troilo
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5714, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5714, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
A field campaign on the Planpincieux Glacier investigated how hidden heterogeneities inside the ice affect its deformation. A borehole logged with optical and acoustic tools and equipped with tilt sensors revealed that these heterogeneities cause strong deformation localization. Such weak zones significantly influence glacier motion, showing that internal structure is key to understanding how glaciers flow.
Alexandra von der Esch, Matthias Huss, Marit van Tiel, Justine Berg, and Daniel Farinotti
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 6761–6780, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-6761-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-6761-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Glaciers are vital water sources, especially in alpine regions. Using the Glacier Evolution Runoff Model (GERM), we examined how forcing data and model resolution impact glacio-hydrological model results. We find that precipitation biases greatly affect results, and coarse resolutions miss critical small-scale details. This highlights the trade-offs between computational efficiency and model accuracy, emphasizing the need for high-resolution data and precise calibration for reliable predictions.
Laura Gabriel, Marian Hertrich, Christophe Ogier, Mike Müller-Petke, Raphael Moser, Hansruedi Maurer, and Daniel Farinotti
The Cryosphere, 19, 6261–6281, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-6261-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-6261-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Surface nuclear magnetic resonance (SNMR) is a geophysical technique directly sensitive to liquid water. We expand the limited applications of SNMR on glaciers by detecting water within Rhonegletscher, Switzerland. By carefully processing the data to reduce noise, we identified signals indicating a water layer near the base of the glacier, surrounded by ice with low water content. Our findings, validated by radar measurements, show SNMR's potential and limitations in studying water in glaciers.
Luc Beraud, Fanny Brun, Amaury Dehecq, Romain Hugonnet, and Prashant Shekhar
The Cryosphere, 19, 5075–5094, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5075-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5075-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study introduces a new workflow to process the elevation time series of glacier surges, an ice flow instability. Applied to a dense, 20-year satellite dataset of glacier surface elevation, the method filters and interpolates these changes on a monthly scale, revealing detailed patterns and estimates of mass transport. The dataset produced by this method allows for a more accurate and a remarkably detailed description of glacier surges at the scale of a large region.
Bastien Ruols, Johanna Klahold, Daniel Farinotti, and James Irving
The Cryosphere, 19, 4045–4059, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4045-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4045-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We demonstrate the use of a drone-based ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system to gather high-resolution, high-density 4D data over a near-terminus glacier collapse feature. We monitor the growth of an air cavity and the evolution of the subglacial drainage system, providing insights into the dynamics of the collapse event. This work highlights potential future applications of drone-based GPR for monitoring glaciers, in particular in regions which are inaccessible by surface-based methods.
Ian Delaney, Andrew J. Tedstone, Mauro A. Werder, and Daniel Farinotti
The Cryosphere, 19, 2779–2795, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2779-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2779-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Sediment transport capacity depends on water velocity and channel width. In rivers, water discharge changes affect flow depth, width, and velocity. Yet, under glaciers, discharge variations alter velocity more than channel shape. Due to these differences, this study shows that sediment transport capacity under glaciers varies widely and peaks before water flow, creating a complex relationship. Understanding these dynamics helps interpret sediment discharge from glaciers in different climates.
Sebastian Berghald, Juliette Blanchet, Antoine Blanc, and David Penot
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3073, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3073, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Our study analyses extreme precipitation in the French Alps using extreme value theory on long-term observations. We compare daily and hourly observations and find regionally and seasonally different trends. On annual resolution, daily extremes show positive trends in the south and negative trends in the north, while trends in hourly extremes are noisier with an appearing east-west divide between increases in the high Alps and decreases in the pre-Alps.
Jane Walden, Mylène Jacquemart, Bretwood Higman, Romain Hugonnet, Andrea Manconi, and Daniel Farinotti
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 2045–2073, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-2045-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-2045-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We studied eight glacier-adjacent landslides in Alaska and found that slope movement increased at four sites as the glacier retreated past the landslide area. Movement at other sites may be due to heavy precipitation or increased glacier thinning, and two sites showed little to no motion. We suggest that landslides near waterbodies may be especially vulnerable to acceleration, which we guess is due to faster retreat rates of water-terminating glaciers and changing water flow in the slope.
Inés Dussaillant, Romain Hugonnet, Matthias Huss, Etienne Berthier, Jacqueline Bannwart, Frank Paul, and Michael Zemp
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 1977–2006, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-1977-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-1977-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Our research observes glacier mass changes worldwide from 1976 to 2024, revealing an alarming increase in melt, especially in the last decade and the record year of 2023. By combining field and satellite observations, we provide annual mass changes for all glaciers in the world, showing significant contributions to global sea level rise. This work underscores the need for ongoing local monitoring and global climate action to mitigate the effects of glacier loss and its broader environmental impacts.
Kaian Shahateet, Johannes J. Fürst, Francisco Navarro, Thorsten Seehaus, Daniel Farinotti, and Matthias Braun
The Cryosphere, 19, 1577–1597, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1577-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1577-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In the present work, we provide a new ice thickness reconstruction of the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet north of 70º S using inversion modeling. This model consists of two steps: the first uses basic assumptions of the rheology of the glacier, and the second uses mass conservation to improve the reconstruction where the assumptions made previously are expected to fail. Validation with independent data showed that our reconstruction improved compared to other reconstructions that are available.
Marijn van der Meer, Harry Zekollari, Matthias Huss, Jordi Bolibar, Kamilla Hauknes Sjursen, and Daniel Farinotti
The Cryosphere, 19, 805–826, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-805-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-805-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Glacier retreat poses big challenges, making understanding how climate affects glaciers vital. But glacier measurements worldwide are limited. We created a simple machine-learning model called miniML-MB, which estimates annual changes in glacier mass in the Swiss Alps. As input, miniML-MB uses two climate variables: average temperature (May–Aug) and total precipitation (Oct–Feb). Our model can accurately predict glacier mass from 1961 to 2021 but struggles for extreme years (2022 and 2023).
Juan-Pedro Roldán-Blasco, Adrien Gilbert, Luc Piard, Florent Gimbert, Christian Vincent, Olivier Gagliardini, Anuar Togaibekov, Andrea Walpersdorf, and Nathan Maier
The Cryosphere, 19, 267–282, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-267-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-267-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The flow of glaciers and ice sheets results from ice deformation and basal sliding driven by gravitational forces. Quantifying the rate at which ice deforms under its own weight is critical for assessing glacier evolution. This study uses borehole instrumentation in an Alpine glacier to quantify ice deformation and constrain ice viscosity in a natural setting. Our results show that the viscosity of ice at 0 °C is largely influenced by interstitial liquid water, which enhances ice deformation.
Harry Zekollari, Matthias Huss, Lilian Schuster, Fabien Maussion, David R. Rounce, Rodrigo Aguayo, Nicolas Champollion, Loris Compagno, Romain Hugonnet, Ben Marzeion, Seyedhamidreza Mojtabavi, and Daniel Farinotti
The Cryosphere, 18, 5045–5066, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5045-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5045-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Glaciers are major contributors to sea-level rise and act as key water resources. Here, we model the global evolution of glaciers under the latest generation of climate scenarios. We show that the type of observations used for model calibration can strongly affect the projections at the local scale. Our newly projected 21st century global mass loss is higher than the current community estimate as reported in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.
Alan Robert Alexander Aitken, Ian Delaney, Guillaume Pirot, and Mauro A. Werder
The Cryosphere, 18, 4111–4136, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4111-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4111-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding how glaciers generate sediment and transport it to the ocean is important for understanding ocean ecosystems and developing knowledge of the past cryosphere from marine sediments. This paper presents a new way to simulate sediment transport in rivers below ice sheets and glaciers and quantify volumes and characteristics of sediment that can be used to reveal the hidden record of the subglacial environment for both past and present glacial conditions.
Livia Piermattei, Michael Zemp, Christian Sommer, Fanny Brun, Matthias H. Braun, Liss M. Andreassen, Joaquín M. C. Belart, Etienne Berthier, Atanu Bhattacharya, Laura Boehm Vock, Tobias Bolch, Amaury Dehecq, Inés Dussaillant, Daniel Falaschi, Caitlyn Florentine, Dana Floricioiu, Christian Ginzler, Gregoire Guillet, Romain Hugonnet, Matthias Huss, Andreas Kääb, Owen King, Christoph Klug, Friedrich Knuth, Lukas Krieger, Jeff La Frenierre, Robert McNabb, Christopher McNeil, Rainer Prinz, Louis Sass, Thorsten Seehaus, David Shean, Désirée Treichler, Anja Wendt, and Ruitang Yang
The Cryosphere, 18, 3195–3230, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3195-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3195-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Satellites have made it possible to observe glacier elevation changes from all around the world. In the present study, we compared the results produced from two different types of satellite data between different research groups and against validation measurements from aeroplanes. We found a large spread between individual results but showed that the group ensemble can be used to reliably estimate glacier elevation changes and related errors from satellite data.
Ronja Reese, Julius Garbe, Emily A. Hill, Benoît Urruty, Kaitlin A. Naughten, Olivier Gagliardini, Gaël Durand, Fabien Gillet-Chaulet, G. Hilmar Gudmundsson, David Chandler, Petra M. Langebroek, and Ricarda Winkelmann
The Cryosphere, 17, 3761–3783, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3761-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3761-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We use an ice sheet model to test where current climate conditions in Antarctica might lead. We find that present-day ocean and atmosphere conditions might commit an irreversible collapse of parts of West Antarctica which evolves over centuries to millennia. Importantly, this collapse is not irreversible yet.
Emily A. Hill, Benoît Urruty, Ronja Reese, Julius Garbe, Olivier Gagliardini, Gaël Durand, Fabien Gillet-Chaulet, G. Hilmar Gudmundsson, Ricarda Winkelmann, Mondher Chekki, David Chandler, and Petra M. Langebroek
The Cryosphere, 17, 3739–3759, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3739-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3739-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The grounding lines of the Antarctic Ice Sheet could enter phases of irreversible retreat or advance. We use three ice sheet models to show that the present-day locations of Antarctic grounding lines are reversible with respect to a small perturbation away from their current position. This indicates that present-day retreat of the grounding lines is not yet irreversible or self-enhancing.
Fanny Brun, Owen King, Marion Réveillet, Charles Amory, Anton Planchot, Etienne Berthier, Amaury Dehecq, Tobias Bolch, Kévin Fourteau, Julien Brondex, Marie Dumont, Christoph Mayer, Silvan Leinss, Romain Hugonnet, and Patrick Wagnon
The Cryosphere, 17, 3251–3268, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3251-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3251-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The South Col Glacier is a small body of ice and snow located on the southern ridge of Mt. Everest. A recent study proposed that South Col Glacier is rapidly losing mass. In this study, we examined the glacier thickness change for the period 1984–2017 and found no thickness change. To reconcile these results, we investigate wind erosion and surface energy and mass balance and find that melt is unlikely a dominant process, contrary to previous findings.
Lander Van Tricht, Harry Zekollari, Matthias Huss, Daniel Farinotti, and Philippe Huybrechts
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-87, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-87, 2023
Manuscript not accepted for further review
Short summary
Short summary
Detailed 3D models can be applied for well-studied glaciers, whereas simplified approaches are used for regional/global assessments. We conducted a comparison of six Tien Shan glaciers employing different models and investigated the impact of in-situ measurements. Our results reveal that the choice of mass balance and ice flow model as well as calibration have minimal impact on the projected volume. The initial ice thickness exerts the greatest influence on the future remaining ice volume.
Aaron Cremona, Matthias Huss, Johannes Marian Landmann, Joël Borner, and Daniel Farinotti
The Cryosphere, 17, 1895–1912, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1895-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1895-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Summer heat waves have a substantial impact on glacier melt as emphasized by the extreme summer of 2022. This study presents a novel approach for detecting extreme glacier melt events at the regional scale based on the combination of automatically retrieved point mass balance observations and modelling approaches. The in-depth analysis of summer 2022 evidences the strong correspondence between heat waves and extreme melt events and demonstrates their significance for seasonal melt.
Fabian Walter, Elias Hodel, Erik S. Mannerfelt, Kristen Cook, Michael Dietze, Livia Estermann, Michaela Wenner, Daniel Farinotti, Martin Fengler, Lukas Hammerschmidt, Flavia Hänsli, Jacob Hirschberg, Brian McArdell, and Peter Molnar
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 4011–4018, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-4011-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-4011-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Debris flows are dangerous sediment–water mixtures in steep terrain. Their formation takes place in poorly accessible terrain where instrumentation cannot be installed. Here we propose to monitor such source terrain with an autonomous drone for mapping sediments which were left behind by debris flows or may contribute to future events. Short flight intervals elucidate changes of such sediments, providing important information for landscape evolution and the likelihood of future debris flows.
Erik Schytt Mannerfelt, Amaury Dehecq, Romain Hugonnet, Elias Hodel, Matthias Huss, Andreas Bauder, and Daniel Farinotti
The Cryosphere, 16, 3249–3268, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3249-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3249-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
How glaciers have responded to climate change over the last 20 years is well-known, but earlier data are much more scarce. We change this in Switzerland by using 22 000 photographs taken from mountain tops between the world wars and find a halving of Swiss glacier volume since 1931. This was done through new automated processing techniques that we created. The data are interesting for more than just glaciers, such as mapping forest changes, landslides, and human impacts on the terrain.
Lea Geibel, Matthias Huss, Claudia Kurzböck, Elias Hodel, Andreas Bauder, and Daniel Farinotti
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 3293–3312, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3293-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3293-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Glacier monitoring in Switzerland started in the 19th century, providing exceptional data series documenting snow accumulation and ice melt. Raw point observations of surface mass balance have, however, never been systematically compiled so far, including complete metadata. Here, we present an extensive dataset with more than 60 000 point observations of surface mass balance covering 60 Swiss glaciers and almost 140 years, promoting a better understanding of the drivers of recent glacier change.
Tim Steffen, Matthias Huss, Rebekka Estermann, Elias Hodel, and Daniel Farinotti
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 723–741, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-723-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-723-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Climate change is rapidly altering high-alpine landscapes. The formation of new lakes in areas becoming ice free due to glacier retreat is one of the many consequences of this process. Here, we provide an estimate for the number, size, time of emergence, and sediment infill of future glacier lakes that will emerge in the Swiss Alps. We estimate that up to ~ 680 potential lakes could form over the course of the 21st century, with the potential to hold a total water volume of up to ~ 1.16 km3.
Loris Compagno, Matthias Huss, Evan Stewart Miles, Michael James McCarthy, Harry Zekollari, Amaury Dehecq, Francesca Pellicciotti, and Daniel Farinotti
The Cryosphere, 16, 1697–1718, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1697-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1697-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We present a new approach for modelling debris area and thickness evolution. We implement the module into a combined mass-balance ice-flow model, and we apply it using different climate scenarios to project the future evolution of all glaciers in High Mountain Asia. We show that glacier geometry, volume, and flow velocity evolve differently when modelling explicitly debris cover compared to glacier evolution without the debris-cover module, demonstrating the importance of accounting for debris.
Christophe Ogier, Mauro A. Werder, Matthias Huss, Isabelle Kull, David Hodel, and Daniel Farinotti
The Cryosphere, 15, 5133–5150, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5133-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5133-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Glacier-dammed lakes are prone to draining rapidly when the ice dam breaks and constitute a serious threat to populations downstream. Such a lake drainage can proceed through an open-air channel at the glacier surface. In this study, we present what we believe to be the most complete dataset to date of an ice-dammed lake drainage through such an open-air channel. We provide new insights for future glacier-dammed lake drainage modelling studies and hazard assessments.
Johannes Marian Landmann, Hans Rudolf Künsch, Matthias Huss, Christophe Ogier, Markus Kalisch, and Daniel Farinotti
The Cryosphere, 15, 5017–5040, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5017-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5017-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we (1) acquire real-time information on point glacier mass balance with autonomous real-time cameras and (2) assimilate these observations into a mass balance model ensemble driven by meteorological input. For doing so, we use a customized particle filter that we designed for the specific purposes of our study. We find melt rates of up to 0.12 m water equivalent per day and show that our assimilation method has a higher performance than reference mass balance models.
Cited articles
Bartholomaus, T. C., Anderson, R. S., and Anderson, S. P.: Response of glacier basal motion to transient water storage, Nat. Geosci., 1, 33–37, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo.2007.52, 2008. a
Björnsson, H.: Understanding jökulhlaups: from tale to theory, J. Glaciol., 56, 1002–1010, https://doi.org/10.3189/002214311796406086, 2010. a, b
Blanc, A., Misset, C., Mainieri, R., and Llamas, B.: Rétro-analyse de la crue du torrent des Etançons du 21 juin 2024, Tech. rep., Agence RTM Alpes du Nord, Office National des Forêts, Service RTM de l'Isère, 9 quai Créqui, 38026 Grenoble cedex, France, https://hal.science/hal-04865442 (last access: 12 August 2026), 2024. a, b
Bowling, J. S., McMillan, M., Leeson, A. A., Livingstone, S. J., Sole, A. J., Ng, F. S., Karlsson, N. B., Nienow, P., Boxall, K., Noël, B., van den Broeke, M. R., Slater, T., Maddalena, J., Sandberg Sørensen, L., Simonsen, S. B., Mouginot, J., Millan, R., Melling, L., Taylor, L., and Humbert, A.: Outburst of a subglacial flood from the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet, Nat. Geosci., 18, 740–746, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01746-9, 2025. a
Carrivick, J. L. and Tweed, F. S.: A global assessment of the societal impacts of glacier outburst floods, Global Planet. Change, 144, 1–16, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2016.07.001, 2016. a
Church, G., Grab, M., Schmelzbach, C., Bauder, A., and Maurer, H.: Monitoring the seasonal changes of an englacial conduit network using repeated ground-penetrating radar measurements, The Cryosphere, 14, 3269–3286, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3269-2020, 2020. a, b
Church, G., Bauder, A., Grab, M., and Maurer, H.: Ground-penetrating radar imaging reveals glacier's drainage network in 3D, The Cryosphere, 15, 3975–3988, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3975-2021, 2021. a
Cressie, N.: Statistics for spatial data, John Wiley & Sons, https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119115151, 2015. a
Cuffey, K. M. and Paterson, W. S. B.: The physics of glaciers, Academic Press, ISBN: 978-0-12-369461-4, 2010. a
De Fleurian, B., Morlighem, M., Seroussi, H., Rignot, E., van den Broeke, M. R., Kuipers Munneke, P., Mouginot, J., Smeets, P. C., and Tedstone, A. J.: A modeling study of the effect of runoff variability on the effective pressure beneath Russell Glacier, West Greenland, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 121, 1834–1848, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JF003842, 2016. a
Deline, P., Chiarle, M., and Mortara, G.: The July 2003 Frébouge debris flow (Mont Blanc Massif, Valley of Aosta, Italy): water pocket outburst flood and ice avalanche damming, Geografia Fisica E Dinamica Quaternaria, 27, 107–111, https://hal.science/hal-00126104 (last access: 12 August 2026), 2004. a
Egli, P. E., Irving, J., and Lane, S. N.: Characterization of subglacial marginal channels using 3-D analysis of high-density ground-penetrating radar data, J. Glaciol., 67, 759–772, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.26, 2021. a
Emmer, A., Allen, S. K., Carey, M., Frey, H., Huggel, C., Korup, O., Mergili, M., Sattar, A., Veh, G., Chen, T. Y., Cook, S. J., Correas-Gonzalez, M., Das, S., Diaz Moreno, A., Drenkhan, F., Fischer, M., Immerzeel, W. W., Izagirre, E., Joshi, R. C., Kougkoulos, I., Kuyakanon Knapp, R., Li, D., Majeed, U., Matti, S., Moulton, H., Nick, F., Piroton, V., Rashid, I., Reza, M., Ribeiro de Figueiredo, A., Riveros, C., Shrestha, F., Shrestha, M., Steiner, J., Walker-Crawford, N., Wood, J. L., and Yde, J. C.: Progress and challenges in glacial lake outburst flood research (2017–2021): a research community perspective, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 3041–3061, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-3041-2022, 2022. a
Farinotti, D., Moser, R., Santin, I., Ogier, C., Horgan, H., Nick, F. M., Karlsson, N., Vieli, A., Rutishauser, A., and Maurer, H.: Can we see through the ice of Greenland's outlet glaciers? A helicopter-borne GPR investigation in southern Greenland, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-5430, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-5430, 2025. a
Filhol, S., Misset, C., Bontemps, N., Cusicanqui, D., Paquet, E., Dumont, M., Gagliardini, O., Lacroix, P., Gascoin, S., Thirel, G., et al.: Compound Drivers and Spatial Connectivity led to the Devastating Debris Flood in the Village of La Bérarde, June 2024, French Alps, EGUsphere, 2026, 1–77, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-971, 2026. a, b, c
Fischer, U. H., Braun, A., Bauder, A., and Flowers, G. E.: Changes in geometry and subglacial drainage derived from digital elevation models: Unteraargletscher, Switzerland, 1927–97, Ann. Glaciol., 40, 20–24, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756405781813528, 2005. a
Flowers, G. E.: Modelling water flow under glaciers and ice sheets, P. Roy. Soc. Lond. A Mat., 471, 20140907, https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2014.0907, 2015. a
Flowers, G. E. and Clarke, G. K.: Surface and bed topography of Trapridge Glacier, Yukon Territory, Canada: digital elevation models and derived hydraulic geometry, J. Glaciol., 45, 165–174, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000003142, 1999. a
Fountain, A. G. and Walder, J. S.: Water flow through temperate glaciers, Rev. Geophys., 36, 299–328, https://doi.org/10.1029/97RG03579, 1998. a
Fudge, T., Humphrey, N. F., Harper, J. T., and Pfeffer, W. T.: Diurnal fluctuations in borehole water levels: configuration of the drainage system beneath Bench Glacier, Alaska, USA, J. Glaciol., 54, 297–306, https://doi.org/10.3189/002214308784886072, 2008. a, b, c
Fudge, T., Harper, J. T., Humphrey, N., and Pfeffer, W. T.: Rapid glacier sliding, reverse ice motion and subglacial water pressure during an autumn rainstorm, Ann. Glaciol., 50, 101–108, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756409789624247, 2009. a
Gagliardini, O., Gillet-Chaulet, F., Durand, G., Vincent, C., and Duval, P.: Estimating the risk of glacier cavity collapse during artificial drainage: The case of Tête Rousse Glacier, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL047536, 2011. a
Garavaglia, F., Le Lay, M., Gottardi, F., Garçon, R., Gailhard, J., Paquet, E., and Mathevet, T.: Impact of model structure on flow simulation and hydrological realism: from a lumped to a semi-distributed approach, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 3937–3952, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-3937-2017, 2017. a
Gilbert, A., Vincent, C., Wagnon, P., Thibert, E., and Rabatel, A.: The influence of snow cover thickness on the thermal regime of Tête Rousse Glacier (Mont Blanc range, 3200 m asl): Consequences for outburst flood hazards and glacier response to climate change, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 117, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JF002258, 2012. a
Glen, J. and Paren, J.: The electrical properties of snow and ice, J. Glaciol., 15, 15–38, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000034249, 1975. a
Grab, M., Mattea, E., Bauder, A., Huss, M., Rabenstein, L., Hodel, E., Linsbauer, A., Langhammer, L., Schmid, L., Church, G., Hellmann, S., Délèze, K., Schaer, P., Lathion, P., Farinotti, D., and Maurer, H.: Ice thickness distribution of all Swiss glaciers based on extended ground-penetrating radar data and glaciological modeling, J. Glaciol., 67, 1074–1092, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.55, 2021. a, b, c, d
Guillemot, A., Bontemps, N., Larose, E., Teodor, D., Faller, S., Baillet, L., Garambois, S., Thibert, E., Gagliardini, O., and Vincent, C.: Investigating Subglacial Water-Filled Cavities by Spectral Analysis of Ambient Seismic Noise: Results on the Polythermal Tête-Rousse Glacier (Mont Blanc, France), Geophys. Res. Lett., 51, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105038, 2024. a
Haeberli, W.: Frequency and characteristics of glacier floods in the Swiss Alps, Ann. Glaciol., 4, 85–90, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0260305500005280, 1983. a
Harper, J. T., Humphrey, N. F., Pfeffer, W. T., Fudge, T., and O’Neel, S.: Evolution of subglacial water pressure along a glacier’s length, Ann. Glaciol., 40, 31–36, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756405781813573, 2005. a, b, c, d
Harper, J. T., Humphrey, N. F., Pfeffer, W. T., and Lazar, B.: Two modes of accelerated glacier sliding related to water, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GL030233, 2007. a, b, c
Horgan, H. J., Stewart, C., Stevens, C., Dunbar, G., Balfoort, L., Schmidt, B. E., Washam, P., Werder, M. A., Mandeno, D., Marschalek, J., Hulbe, C., Holschuh, N., Levy, R., Hurwitz, B., Jendersie, S., Johnson, K., Lawrence, J., Morgenstern, R., Mullen, A. D., Quartini, E., Sauthoff, W., Siegfried, M., Still, H., Thorpe-Loversuch, S., van de Flierdt, T., Venturelli, R., and Whiteford, A.: A West Antarctic grounding-zone environment shaped by episodic water flow, Nat. Geosci., 18, 389–395, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01687-3, 2025. a
Hubbard, B., Sharp, M., Willis, I., Nielsen, M., and Smart, C.: Borehole water-level variations and the structure of the subglacial hydrological system of Haut Glacier d’Arolla, Valais, Switzerland, J. Glaciol., 41, 572–583, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000034894, 1995. a
Hugonnet, R., Brun, F., Berthier, E., Dehecq, A., Mannerfelt, E. S., Eckert, N., and Farinotti, D.: Uncertainty analysis of digital elevation models by spatial inference from stable terrain, IEEE J. Sel. Top. Appl., 15, 6456–6472, https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTARS.2022.3188922, 2022. a
Huss, M., Bauder, A., Werder, M., Funk, M., and Hock, R.: Glacier-dammed lake outburst events of Gornersee, Switzerland, J. Glaciol., 53, 189–200, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756507782202784, 2007. a, b, c
Iken, A. and Bindschadler, R. A.: Combined measurements of subglacial water pressure and surface velocity of Findelengletscher, Switzerland: conclusions about drainage system and sliding mechanism, J. Glaciol., 32, 101–119, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000006936, 1986. a
Iken, A., Fabri, K., and Funk, M.: Water storage and subglacial drainage conditions inferred from borehole measurements on Gornergletscher, Valais, Switzerland, J. Glaciol., 42, 233–248, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000004093, 1996. a, b
Kamb, B.: Glacier surge mechanism based on linked cavity configuration of the basal water conduit system, J. Geophys. Res.-Sol. Ea., 92, 9083–9100, https://doi.org/10.1029/JB092iB09p09083, 1987. a, b
Langhammer, L., Grab, M., Bauder, A., and Maurer, H.: Glacier thickness estimations of alpine glaciers using data and modeling constraints, The Cryosphere, 13, 2189–2202, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2189-2019, 2019a. a
Langhammer, L., Rabenstein, L., Schmid, L., Bauder, A., Grab, M., Schaer, P., and Maurer, H.: Glacier bed surveying with helicopter-borne dual-polarization ground-penetrating radar, J. Glaciol., 65, 123–135, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2018.99, 2019b. a
Le Rest, K., Pinaud, D., Monestiez, P., Chadoeuf, J., and Bretagnolle, V.: Spatial leave-one-out cross-validation for variable selection in the presence of spatial autocorrelation, Global Ecol. Biogeogr., 23, 811–820, https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12161, 2014. a
Lefeuvre, P.-M., Jackson, M., Lappegard, G., and Hagen, J. O.: Interannual variability of glacier basal pressure from a 20 year record, Ann. Glaciol., 56, 33–44, https://doi.org/10.3189/2015AoG70A019, 2015. a, b
MacKie, E. J., Schroeder, D. M., Zuo, C., Yin, Z., and Caers, J.: Stochastic modeling of subglacial topography exposes uncertainty in water routing at Jakobshavn Glacier, J. Glaciol., 67, 75–83, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2020.84, 2021. a, b
Mainieri, R., Blanc, A., Astrade, L., Baratier, A., Berthet, J., Deline, P., Le Roy, M., Misset, C., de Montety, F., Robert, Y., and Schoeneich, P.: Les aspects géomorphologiques de la crue torrentielle du torrent des Étançons à la Bérarde du 21 juin 2024, Géomorphologie: relief, processus, environnement, 31, https://doi.org/10.4000/14ipc, 2025. a
Malczyk, G., Gourmelen, N., Werder, M. A., Wearing, M., and Goldberg, D.: Constraints on subglacial melt fluxes from observations of active subglacial lake recharge, J. Glaciol., 69, 1900–1914, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2023.70, 2023. a
Mankoff, K. D., Noël, B., Fettweis, X., Ahlstrøm, A. P., Colgan, W., Kondo, K., Langley, K., Sugiyama, S., van As, D., and Fausto, R. S.: Greenland liquid water discharge from 1958 through 2019, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 2811–2841, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2811-2020, 2020. a
Margrave, G. F. and Lamoureux, M. P.: Numerical methods of exploration seismology: With algorithms in MATLAB®, Cambridge University Press, https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316756041, 2019. a
Nanni, U., Gimbert, F., Roux, P., and Lecointre, A.: Observing the subglacial hydrology network and its dynamics with a dense seismic array, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 118, e2023757118, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2023757118, 2021. a
Nye, J. F.: Water flow in glaciers: jökulhlaups, tunnels and veins, J. Glaciol., 17, 181–207, https://doi.org/10.3189/S002214300001354X, 1976. a
O'Callaghan, J. F. and Mark, D. M.: The extraction of drainage networks from digital elevation data, Computer Vision, Graphics, and Image Processing, 28, 323–344, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0734-189X(84)80011-0, 1984. a
Ogier, C.: bonne_pierre_hydraulic_barriers: Potential glacier contributions to the 2024 La Bérarde flood, Version article_release, Zenodo [code], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21901577, 2026a. a
Ogier, C.: Dataset of “Potential glacier contributions to the 2024 La Bérarde flood”, ETH Library [data set], https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-c-000800814, 2026b. a
Ogier, C., van Manen, D.-J., Maurer, H., Räss, L., Hertrich, M., Bauder, A., and Farinotti, D.: Ground penetrating radar in temperate ice: englacial water inclusions as limiting factor for data interpretation, J. Glaciol., 69, 1874–1885, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2023.68, 2023. a, b
Ogier, C., Fischer, M., Werder, M. A., Huss, M., Hupfer, M., Jacquemart, M., Gagliardini, O., Gilbert, A., Hösli, L., Thibert, E., Vincent, C., and Farinotti, D.: Definition, formation and rupture mechanisms of water pockets in alpine glaciers: insights from an updated inventory for the Swiss Alps, J. Glaciol., 71, e82, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2025.43, 2025. a, b, c, d, e, f
Raup, B. H., Racoviteanu, A., Khalsa, S. J. S., Helm, C., Armstrong, R., and Arnaud, Y.: The GLIMS Geospatial Glacier Database: a New Tool for Studying Glacier Change, Global Planet. Change, 56, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2006.07.018, 2007. a
Roberts, M. J.: Jökulhlaups: a reassessment of floodwater flow through glaciers, Rev. Geophys., 43, https://doi.org/10.1029/2003RG000147, 2005. a
Ruols, B., Klahold, J., Farinotti, D., and Irving, J.: 4D GPR imaging of a near-terminus glacier collapse feature, The Cryosphere, 19, 4045–4059, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4045-2025, 2025. a, b
Santin, I., Roncoroni, G., Forte, E., Gutgesell, P., and Pipan, M.: GPR modelling and inversion to quantify the debris content within ice, Near Surf. Geophys., 22, 220–234, https://doi.org/10.1002/nsg.12274, 2024. a
Santin, I., Moser, R., and Farinotti, D.: Results of the 2024 GPR Survey at Glacier de la Bonne Pierre, Technical Report 8050-VAW-2025-01, Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW), ETH Zürich, Zürich, 2025. a
Santin, I., Horgan, H. J., Moser, R., Bjørnholt Karlsson, N., Nick, F. M., Vieli, A., Rutishauser, A., Maurer, H., and Farinotti, D.: Brief communication: Bed mapping of southern Greenland outlet glaciers using helicopter-borne ground penetrating radar (AIRETH), The Cryosphere, 20, 3435–3441, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3435-2026, 2026. a
Sharp, M., Richards, K., Willis, I., Arnold, N., Nienow, P., Lawson, W., and Tison, J.-L.: Geometry, bed topography and drainage system structure of the Haut Glacier d'Arolla, Switzerland, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 18, 557–571, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3290180608, 1993. a
Shreve, R.: Movement of water in glaciers, J. Glaciol., 11, 205–214, https://doi.org/10.3189/S002214300002219X, 1972. a, b, c
Stevens, L. A., Behn, M. D., McGuire, J. J., Das, S. B., Joughin, I., Herring, T., Shean, D. E., and King, M. A.: Greenland supraglacial lake drainages triggered by hydrologically induced basal slip, Nature, 522, 73–76, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14480, 2015. a
Vincent, C., Garambois, S., Thibert, E., Lefebvre, E., Le Meur, E., and Six, D.: Origin of the outburst flood from Glacier de Tête Rousse in 1892 (Mont Blanc area, France), J. Glaciol., 56, 688–698, https://doi.org/10.3189/002214310793146188, 2010. a, b, c
Vincent, C., Descloitres, M., Garambois, S., Legchenko, A., Guyard, H., and Gilbert, A.: Detection of a subglacial lake in Glacier de Tête Rousse (Mont Blanc area, France), J. Glaciol., 58, 866–878, https://doi.org/10.3189/2012JoG11J179, 2012. a, b, c
Vincent, C., Thibert, E., Gagliardini, O., Legchenko, A., Gilbert, A., Garambois, S., Condom, T., Baltassat, J. M., and Girard, J. F.: Mechanisms of subglacial cavity filling in Glacier de Tête Rousse, French Alps, J. Glaciol., 61, 609–623, https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG14J238, 2015. a
Vincent, C., Gilbert, A., Walpersdorf, A., Gimbert, F., Gagliardini, O., Jourdain, B., Roldan Blasco, J. P., Laarman, O., Piard, L., Six, D., Moreau, L., Cusicanqui, D., and Thibert, E.: Evidence of seasonal uplift in the Argentière glacier (Mont Blanc area, France), J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 127, e2021JF006454, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JF006454, 2022. a, b
Walder, J. and Driedger, C.: Frequent outburst floods from South Tahoma Glacier, Mount Rainier, U.S.A.: Relation to debris flows, meteorological origin and implications for subglacial hydrology, J. Glaciol., 41, 1–10, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000017718, 1995. a
Warburton, J. and Fenn, C. R.: Unusual flood events from an Alpine glacier: observations and deductions on generating mechanisms, J. Glaciol., 40, 176–186, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000003956, 1994. a
Werder, M. A., Hewitt, I. J., Schoof, C. G., and Flowers, G. E.: Modeling channelized and distributed subglacial drainage in two dimensions, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 118, 2140–2158, https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrf.20146, 2013. a
Wright, A., Siegert, M., Le Brocq, A., and Gore, D.: High sensitivity of subglacial hydrological pathways in Antarctica to small ice-sheet changes, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008gl034937, 2008. a
Zhang, G., Carrivick, J. L., Emmer, A., Shugar, D. H., Veh, G., Wang, X., Labedz, C., Mergili, M., Mölg, N., Huss, M., Allen, S., Sugiyama, S., and Lützow, N.: Characteristics and changes of glacial lakes and outburst floods, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 5, 447–462, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-024-00554-w, 2024. a
Short summary
In June 2024, a destructive flood impacted the village of La Bérarde in the French Alps. Rain, snowmelt, and the drainage of a surface lake on a glacier cannot fully explain the flood magnitude. We used glacier topography to estimate how much water could also have been stored beneath the glacier before the event. Our results show that large volumes of hidden water may have existed and could have amplified the flood, highlighting an overlooked hazard in debris-covered mountain glaciers.
In June 2024, a destructive flood impacted the village of La Bérarde in the French Alps. Rain,...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint