Aletsch Glacier, shown above carving through the Bernese Alps of Switzerland, is nearly 14 mi (23 km) in length making it the longest glacier in the entire Alps mountain system. It’s currently in retreat as are nearly all glaciers in the Alps. The dark narrow bands within the glacial ice are medial moraines, formed when individual valley glaciers merged. These moraines extend many miles downstream. The wavy features at bottom are possibly ogives -- spacing between the wave crests related to the ice flow over a given season. To give scale to the immensity of this glacier note the hikers in figure 3. Photo taken in late summer of 2013.
Photographer: Renata Hari , images used with permission
Summary Authors: Renata Hari; Jim Foster
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| Figure 1. Crevasses |
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| Figure 2. Glacier in contact with rock valley. Moraine in center. |
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Figure 3. Closeup of moraine. Note on center of lobe just below the moraine the
group of ice climbers all in a row. |
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| Figure 4. An arete in the background. |
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| Figure 5. A view of the glacier at a distance. |
