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Ice calving
In glaciology, calving is when glacial ice breaks off from the front of a glacier into the sea or a lake. In the Alps, only the latter is possible.
If larger ice masses fall into a lake, there is a danger of a tidal wave, which in the worst case can lead to the lake breaking out.
After calving, the broken ice floats on the lake as ice floes or icebergs.
In the current phase of global warming, these ice floes or icebergs are gradually melting. Depending on the time of calving, they melt completely by the end of the summer season or become part of the frozen surface of the lake in winter.
Ice floes and icebergs floating in the lake in front of Chüeboden Glacier after calving. Photo from 20.9.2022.
The slightly warmed lake water probably melted ice under the glacier. This caused the ice to break off into the lake (= calving). On the upper right, two alpine nests can be seen crossing the Chüeboden glacier.
Published:
10.06.2022
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