Tiel et al. (2026) Swiss glacier mass loss during the 2022 drought: persistent streamflow contributions amid declining melt water volumes

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich)
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-06
• Authors: Marit Van Tiel, Matthias Huss, Massimiliano Zappa, Tobias Jonas, Daniel Farinotti
• DOI: 10.3929/ethz-c-000792125

Research Groups

Not available from the provided text.

Short Summary

This study analyzes the role of glaciers in 88 Swiss catchments during the extreme 2022 drought, comparing it to past events, and finds that while glaciers provided significant meltwater, their total contribution has declined due to area loss, raising concerns for future droughts.

Objective

• To analyze the role of glaciers in mitigating the 2022 hydrological drought in 88 glacierized catchments in Switzerland.
• To assess whether ongoing glacier retreat has led to a declining meltwater supply during extreme warm and dry conditions, by comparing 2022 with earlier exceptionally warm and dry years (1921, 1928, 1947, 1998, 2003, 2018).

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: 88 glacierized catchments in Switzerland; specific downstream locations mentioned include Basel (Rhine) and Porte du Scex (Rhone).
• Temporal Scale: The year 2022, compared to 1921, 1928, 1947, 1998, 2003, and 2018. Focus on summer months and July.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: No specific models (e.g., ISBA, mHM) are named in the provided text. The study combines observations with estimations of snow water equivalent, actual evapotranspiration, and daily glacier storage changes.
• Data sources: Streamflow observations, meteorological observations, estimations of snow water equivalent, actual evapotranspiration, and daily glacier storage changes.

Main Results

• Between 60 % and 80 % of the total glacier melt in 2022 originated from net mass loss (imbalanced melt).
• During summer, increased glacier melt fully offset precipitation and snowmelt deficits in catchments with approximately 15 % glacierization.
• Downstream, extra glacier melt in summer alleviated water input deficits by up to 5 % at Basel (Rhine) and 70 % at Porte du Scex (Rhone).
• Compared to past extreme years, the total glacier meltwater volume has decreased due to significant glacier area loss, despite higher melt rates per unit area.
• In 2022 versus 2003 (the most comparable recent extreme summer), total glacier meltwater supply decreased in two thirds of the catchments over the entire summer, and in one third during July.
• In the remaining catchments, the more intense specific melt of 2022 compensated for the 21 % glacier area loss observed since 2003.
• Despite these declines in total meltwater volume, relative glacier melt contributions to streamflow remained rather constant or even increased in some months, underscoring their continued importance during droughts.

Contributions

• Provides a quantitative analysis of the critical role of glaciers in mitigating the severe 2022 hydrological drought in Switzerland.
• Offers a historical perspective by comparing the 2022 drought's glacial response to a long record of past extreme warm and dry years.
• Assesses the impact of ongoing glacier retreat on meltwater supply during extreme conditions, highlighting a paradox of declining total meltwater volume but sustained relative contributions.
• Raises concerns about the sustainability of glacier meltwater supply for future drought situations given continued glacier area loss.

Funding

Not available from the provided text.

Citation

@article{Tiel2026Swiss,
  author = {Tiel, Marit Van and Huss, Matthias and Zappa, Massimiliano and Jonas, Tobias and Farinotti, Daniel},
  title = {Swiss glacier mass loss during the 2022 drought: persistent streamflow contributions amid declining melt water volumes},
  journal = {Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich)},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.3929/ethz-c-000792125},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-c-000792125}
}