Glaciers are extremely sensitive to climate change. All told, Alpine glaciers have lost about half of their surface area and approximately two thirds of their volume over the past century and a half. Record-breaking ice losses of over a meter in thickness a year have been repeatedly measured over the past decade.

The Geography/Geomorphology/Glaciology Department at the University of Zurich, led by Prof. Wilfried Haeberli, has spent many years tackling this problem. Its research is focused on the processes and hazards in the Alpine region arising from the interplay between climate and topography.

Axpo is supporting a research project by the University of Zurich which is aimed at developing a new scientific understanding within glacier research and hydrology. The project is based on innovative laser scanning technology which is being trialled on the Findelen Glacier in Upper Valais and which will supply high-precision, digital terrain models. This data permits a more precise analysis of the rapidly changing glaciers, as well as of the risks and opportunities associated with this. This information, in turn, permits the SAC to adapt its activities in the Alps in line with changes in overall conditions.

By working with the University of Zurich, Axpo is supporting one of the research institutions which is right at the forefront of glacier research anywhere in the world. Through its work, the university is able, not least of all, to raise public awareness of a topical issue.