What began in the 19th century with the first systematic and internationally coordinated glacier measurements has continued to this day. And it has taken on a special significance this year, the “International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation” proclaimed by the UN.

Diesen Beitrag auf Deutsch lesen 🇩🇪

The first “World Day for Glaciers” will take place on 21 March 2025 to draw attention to the current glacier retreat and the associated impacts, such as water scarcity and rising sea levels. The latest glacier data speak for themselves: five of the last six years show the greatest loss of glacier ice ever measured worldwide.

These statements are only possible thanks to long-term measurement series, the continuation of which is anything but a matter of course. Paul-Louis Mercanton is one person who made a significant contribution to the continuation and compilation of the glacier measurement series. During the two world wars, glacier measurements were in danger of being cancelled. But Mercanton kept up the research work amidst the turmoil of world politics:

“Even during the war, there were competent and committed people in every European country with glaciers who continued the national monitoring effort”, Paul-Louis Mercanton aptly wrote in one of his reports after the end of the First World War. A blog post by the Swiss National Museum tells the story of the internationally coordinated glacier monitoring.

Mercanton’s legacy lives on and is continued today by the World Glacier Monitoring Service, which is based at the Department of Geography at the University of Zurich. The WGMS collects glacier data from all over the world in collaboration with a global network of observers. Their important work will be honoured on 21 March.

Internationally coordinated glacier measurements: a lofty challenge
Blog, Swiss National Museum, 04.03.2025
🇩🇪 International koordinierte Gletscherbeobachtung: nicht auf Eis gelegt
Blog des Schweizerischen Nationalmuseums, 04.03.2025

Samuel Nussbaumer, WGMS