The iconic Marmolada glacier, Italy’s largest glacier in the Dolomites, is in critical condition, with scientists warning that it may disappear completely by 2040.
Known as the “Queen of the Dolomites,” the glacier has long been a popular destination for winter skiers and summer mountaineers, but its days are numbered due to the accelerating effects of climate change.
The glacier has lost over 80 per cent of its surface area since the beginning of scientific measurements in 1888, retreating by 1,200 meters.
In the last five years alone, 70 hectares of ice – equivalent to 98 football fields – have vanished. Today, it continues to lose 7 to 10 centimeters of thickness per day, according to scientists, highlighting the urgent need for action.
A Desperate Situation
Experts have sounded the alarm, drawing attention to the glacier’s dire situation through the ‘Carovana dei ghiacciai’ (Caravan of Glaciers) project, spearheaded by environmentalist group Legambiente, the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA), and the Italian Glacier Committee. The project monitors the health of glaciers across the Alps, focusing on the impact of climate change.
Marco Giardino, president of the Italian Glaciological Committee, noted the broader implications for all Alpine glaciers.
“The data makes [the Marmolada] emblematic of the suffering of all Alpine glaciers. The glacial body is poorly fed and suffers from climatic pressure and human interference,” Giardino said.
The glacier’s struggle has become even more poignant following the tragic collapse of a serac – a large column of glacial ice – in July 2022, which claimed the lives of 11 mountaineers. This disaster highlighted the instability of the Marmolada and brought international attention to its fragile state.
An “Irreversible Coma”
Legambiente, which has been monitoring the Marmolada for years, has described the glacier as being in an “irreversible coma.”
During a press conference, the environmental group emphasized that attempts to cover parts of the glacier with protective sheets are nothing more than a desperate effort to preserve ski slopes. The measures, while helping slow the melt slightly in certain areas, are not enough to reverse the damage.
“The Marmolada glacier is dying, and covering it with sheets is therapeutic obstinacy,” a spokesperson for Legambiente said.
In 1888, the glacier covered approximately 500 hectares, the size of 700 football fields. Today, its surface area is a fraction of what it once was, and its volumetric loss is even more alarming at over 94 per cent. Measurements taken in 2024 recorded the maximum thickness of the ice at just 34 meters.
A Bleak Future for Alpine Glaciers
Scientists warn that the accelerated melting of the Marmolada and other glaciers at high altitudes is leaving behind vast stretches of barren rock and transforming the landscape.
New ecosystems are starting to emerge as the ice recedes, but the loss of the glaciers is a stark reminder of the severe impact of climate change on the environment.
The fate of the Marmolada has become a symbol of the vulnerability of all glaciers in the Alps. Without significant intervention to combat climate change, experts fear that more glaciers could meet the same fate in the coming decades.