Swiss Village Buried by Massive Glacial Collapse
Karin Keller-Suter, the president of Switzerland, acknowledged the glacial collapse in a post on X.'It's terrible to lose your home,' she wrote. 'In these difficult times, my thoughts are with the residents of Blatten."
The natural disaster at Blatten follows another incident when, in 2023, residents of the Swiss village of Brienz were forced to leave their homes as the mountains above them deteriorated, the BBC reported.Reuters reported that, according to experts, the link between the collapse of the Birch glacier and climate isn't yet clear.Still, a changing climate has accelerated global glacial recession and, according to a fact sheet published by the Swiss Academy of Sciences, global warming can destabilize rock faces previously supported by glaciers or permafrost, heightening the risk of rockfalls and landslides.In an interview, Daniel Farinotti, a glaciologist at ETH Zurich, said a portion of Switzerland's glaciers could be preserved if 'we manage to cut global greenhouse gas emissions quickly.' However, Farinotti added that if greenhouse gas emissions aren't reduced, all of the Swiss glaciers could vanish by 2100.That prospect doesn't just threaten an increased prevalence of natural hazards—it also puts Swiss summer skiing destinations at risk. Across the country, seven of the nine ski resorts that offered glacier skiing have ceased summer operations, according to a paper published in the Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights. Today, only Zermatt and Saas-Fee's summer glacier skiing offerings remain.Swiss Village Buried by Massive Glacial Collapse first appeared on Powder on May 28, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
11 hours ago
- Washington Post
How presidents use the autopen to sign documents
Cookie Choices for EU, Swiss & UK Residents We and our 912 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting I Accept enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. Selecting Reject All or withdrawing your consent will disable them. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Manage Preferences link on the bottom of the webpage . Your choices will have effect within our Website. For more details, refer to our Privacy Policy. If you click 'I accept,' in addition to processing data using cookies and similar technologies for the purposes to the right, you also agree we may process the profile information you provide and your interactions with our surveys and other interactive content for personalized advertising. If you are an EU, Swiss, or UK resident and you do not accept, we will process cookies and associated data for strictly necessary purposes and process non-cookie data as set forth in our If you click 'I accept,' in addition to processing data using cookies and similar technologies for the purposes to the right, you also agree we may process the profile information you provide and your interactions with our surveys and other interactive content for personalized you are an EU, Swiss, or UK resident and you do not accept, we will process cookies and associated data for strictly necessary purposes and process non-cookie data as set forth in our Privacy Policy (consistent with law and, if applicable, other choices you have made).
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Jeju Air jet still had a working engine when it crashed, investigation update says
By Lisa Barrington, Heekyong Yang and Dan Catchpole SEOUL (Reuters) -A Jeju Air plane that crashed in December during an emergency landing after a bird strike could have kept flying on the damaged engine that was still working after pilots shut down the other one, according to an update from South Korean investigators. The Boeing 737-800 instead belly-landed at Muan airport without its landing gear down, overshot the runway and erupted into a fireball after slamming into an embankment, killing all but two of the 181 people on board. Investigators have not yet produced a final report into the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil, but information about the plane's two engines has begun to emerge. According to a July 19 update prepared by investigators and seen by Reuters but not publicly released following complaints from victims' family members, the left engine sustained less damage than the right following a bird strike, but the left engine was shut down 19 seconds after the bird strike. The right engine experienced a "surge" and emitted flames and black smoke, but investigators said it "was confirmed to be generating output sufficient for flight," in the five-page update, which included post-crash photos of both engines. No reason for the crew's actions was given and the probe is expected to last months as investigators reconstruct the plane's technical state and the picture understood by its pilots. Experts say most air accidents are caused by multiple factors and caution against putting too much weight on incomplete evidence. MORE QUESTIONS So far, public attention has focused on the possibility that the crew may have shut down the less-damaged engine, rekindling memories of a 1989 Boeing 737-400 crash in Kegworth, England, where pilots shut down a non-damaged engine by mistake. The disaster led to multiple changes in regulations including improvements in crew communication and emergency procedures. A source told Reuters on Monday that the South Korea-led probe had "clear evidence" that pilots had shut off the less-damaged left engine after the bird strike, citing the cockpit voice recorder, computer data and a switch found in the wreckage. But the latest update on the crash also raises the possibility that even the more heavily damaged engine that was still running could have kept the plane aloft for longer. It did not say what level of performance the operating engine still had, nor what extra options that might have given to the plane's emergency-focused crew before the jet doubled back and landed in the opposite direction of the runway from its initial plan with its landing gear up. Both engines contained bird strike damage and both experienced engine vibrations after the strike. The right engine showed significant internal damage, the Korean-language update from South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) said, but it did not describe the damage found in the left engine. The update did not say how the left engine was operating nor the state of systems connected to either engine, said former U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigator Greg Feith when shown the document translated by Reuters. It contains some new facts but omits far more, resulting in a "cryptic" document, he said. ARAIB, which plans to issue a final report next June, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Safety experts say it is common for early reports to contain sparse facts and limited analysis while investigations continue. A preliminary report released in January said feathers and blood stains from ducks were found in both engines. The engines - made by CFM International, jointly owned by GE and France's Safran - were examined in May and no defects or fault data were found beyond the bird and crash damage, the report said. Families of those who died in the disaster were briefed on the engine findings but asked investigators not to release the July 19 report, saying that it appeared to apportion blame to the pilots without exploring other factors. The report was withheld but Reuters and South Korean media obtained copies. Boeing and GE referred questions about the crash to ARAIB. Safran did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jeju Air has previously said it is cooperating with ARAIB and is awaiting publication of the investigation. Under global aviation rules, civil air investigations aim to discover crash causes without assigning blame or liability. The Jeju Air pilots' union said ARAIB was "misleading the public" by suggesting there was no problem with the left engine given that bird remains were found in both. A source who attended the briefing told Reuters that investigators told family members the left engine also experienced a disruptive "surge," citing black box data. The pilot union and representatives of bereaved families have asked that evidence be released to support any findings. Relatives say the investigation also needs to focus on the embankment containing navigation equipment, which safety experts have said likely contributed to the high death toll. Global aviation standards call for any navigation equipment in line with runways to be installed on structures that easily give way in case of impact with an aircraft. South Korea's transport ministry has identified seven domestic airports, including Muan, with structures made of concrete or steel, rather than materials that break apart on impact and has said it will improve them. Designs for the new structures are in progress, a ministry official told Reuters last week. Solve the daily Crossword
USA Today
2 days ago
- USA Today
Smoke descends on Northeastern US. Map shows air quality impacts.
State officials from Maine to New York issued alerts for fine particulate matter, a toxic byproduct of wildfires that is small enough to be inhaled. NEW YORK − Wildfire smoke wafted from Canada to create unhealthy air quality levels across the Northeast on July 26. State officials from Maine to New York issued alerts for fine particulate matter, a toxic byproduct of wildfires that is small enough to be inhaled. Smoky conditions impacted cities including Boston and New York. Canada's fires could produce more smoke blowing into the Northeast through the afternoon, said Brooke Taber, a National Weather Service meteorologist stationed in Burlington, Vermont. Smoke is also causing limited visibility in some areas. Wind changes could provide a respite by the night, Taber said. Montreal had some of the worst air quality in the world due to fires in the Canadian Prairies, the Canadian Press reported, citing IQAir, a Swiss-based monitoring company. Several wildfires burning in Saskatchewan and Manitoba are sending large smoke plumes eastward, according to Quebec's fire provincial agency. Meanwhile, New York City climbed on IQAir's list of cities with unhealthy air levels. Hazy skies and the faint smell of smoke blanketed Manhattan on Saturday. Map shows US air quality Why air quality matters Officials urged people to stay indoors to reduce exposure, and to limit strenuous activity. Exposure can cause short-term effects such as irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, along with coughing, sneezing, runny nose and shortness of breath. It can be particularly dangerous for people in sensitive groups, such as children, older people and those with chronic health conditions, such as asthma or heart disease. Canada is experiencing another harsh wildfire season in a warming climate. Dozens of wildfires are blazing uncontrolled, according to Canada's natural resources department. In early July, Manitoba's government declared a state of emergency for its historic fires. July 17: Brace for more smoky skies as Canadian wildfires rage Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@ or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
