Discovered After Half a Century: Resurfaced Ski Lift due to Glacier Melting
In the picturesque town of Hallstatt, Austria, the retreating Hallstatt Glacier has uncovered a piece of history that was buried beneath snow for nearly half a century. The discovery of an old ski lift, built in 1970, was announced by Georg Bliem, the head of the Dachstein Glacier Cableway, to the German Press Agency (dpa).
The ski lift, which was previously reported by the "Kronen Zeitung" in Upper Austria, had been hidden under the melting glacier ice. As temperatures continue to rise, causing ice masses in the mountains to gradually disappear, the glacier has been shrinking at an alarming rate. According to a research team, the Hallstatt Glacier, located on the Dachstein, has shrunk from 5.27 square kilometers to about 2.22 square kilometers since the mid-19th century[1].
The ski lift, made of wood, was used when summer skiing was possible on the glacier before it was covered again by accumulating ice a few years later. Along with the ski lift, an old lift ticket has also been found. The glacier's retreat is also exposing areas that were once part of tourist attractions, such as an "ice palace" carved into the glacier, which may only last a few more years due to ongoing melting[2].
The continued retreat of the Hallstatt Glacier is likely due to climate change, with rising temperatures causing the ice to melt at a rate of 2 to 4 meters per year, making it unlikely to survive beyond 2030[1][2]. As the glacier continues to retreat, challenges such as the need to reroute and secure hiking trails to avoid newly exposed crevasses are becoming increasingly apparent[3].
References:
[1] Hallstatt Glacier Shrinking Rapidly Due to Climate Change. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/hallstatt-glacier-shrinking-rapidly-due-climate-change
[2] Hallstatt Glacier Shrinking Rapidly Due to Climate Change. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.theweatherchannel.com/science/climate-change/news/2019-12-16-hallstatt-glacier-shrinking-rapidly-due-to-climate-change
[3] Old Ski Lift Discovered as Hallstatt Glacier Melts. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57049874
[4] Hallstatt Glacier's Rapid Retreat Reveals 50-Year-Old Ski Lift. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/skiing/articles/hallstatt-glacier-rapid-retreat-reveals-50-year-old-ski-lift/
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