View allAll Photos Tagged Secure
A look at how secure the passwords of the different types of people are.
Article link : www.cxo.eu.com/news/password-protected/
The Poor Cathedral is in a bad way...so sad! ..the pigeon's are loving their new home!
We took a drive into the city and walked around the newly opened up Red Zone area, New Regent Street, April 24, 2013, Christchurch New Zealand.
The Anglican cathedral of ChristChurch in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, was built in the second half of the 19th century. It is located in the centre of the city, surrounded by Cathedral Square. It is the cathedral seat of the Bishop of Christchurch in the New Zealand tikanga of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.
The February 2011 Christchurch earthquake destroyed the spire and part of the tower – and severely damaged the structure of the remaining building. The cathedral had been damaged previously by earthquakes in 1881, 1888, 1901, 1922 and 2010.
In late March 2012 work began demolishing the building. A temporary replacement cathedral is being built.
It was announced on 28 October 2011 that the damaged structure would be deconsecrated and at least partially demolished, although it was not clear whether any parts of the damaged building would be retained and included in a future building; this would depend on the state of the fabric as determined during the work. ChristChurch Cathedral was deconsecrated on 9 November 2011.
On 2 March 2012, Bishop Victoria Matthews announced that the building would be demolished. She questioned the safety of the building and stated that rebuilding the cathedral could cost NZD $50 million more than insurance could afford and, therefore, that a new cathedral would be built in its place.
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) backed the demolition due to safety concerns. The decision was also supported by 70 local Christchurch churches and Christian groups.
In September 2012, Bishop Matthews suggested sharing a new church with the city's Roman Catholic community, as their place of worship was also damaged in the quakes. The Roman Catholic diocese was not receptive to the idea, however.
There has been opposition to the demolition of the building, with heritage groups including the UNESCO World Heritage Centre opposing the action. Local character the Wizard of Christchurch also made protests calling for the cathedral to be saved.
Kit Miyamoto, an American-based structural engineer and expert in earthquake rebuilding, had previously inspected the cathedral after the September 2010 quake. He cited his experience in stating that restoring and strengthening of the building was both "feasible and affordable".
In April 2012, a group of engineers from the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering launched a petition seeking support of 100 colleagues to stop the demolition. They claim that legal action is also a possibility. In the same month the Restore Christchurch Cathedral Group was formed and is seeking signatures for a petition to save the cathedral.
In late March 2012 work began demolishing the cathedral. The initial work involves removing the cathedral's windows and tower.
By 23 April 2012, nine windows had their stained glass removed and work had begun to slowly pull down masonry from the cathedral tower.
Construction of a temporary cathedral started on 24 July 2012. The site on the corner of Hereford and Madras Streets, several blocks from the permanent location, was blessed in April 2012. Designed by architect Shigeru Ban and seating around 700 people, the transitional cathedral was expected to be completed by Christmas 2012, but the completion date was put back to April 2013. The materials used in its construction include cardboard tubes, timber and steel.
In November 2012 the church began fund-raising to pay for the NZ$5 million project, following a High Court judge indicating it may not be legal for the church to build a temporary cathedral using its insurance payout.
For More Info on Christchurch Cathedral: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChristChurch_Cathedral,_Christchurch
Kelela performs while security looks on at The Outside Lands Music Festival, 2018 in San Francisco on August 12th, 2018.
More photos from this show can be seen at The Bay Bridged.
A clone captain communicating with command while his squad begins to prepare the perimeter.
This build started out as an empty frame to give myself an “empty canvas”. I like that approach a lot and I think it’s fun to see what you can squeeze into a small space to tell a story. Then I built the terrain and experimented for a few days on where to go from there. I decided on the water way eventually and it all snowballed from there.
I hope you enjoy feel free to leave any feedback.
July 19, 2018
9:00 am - 10:00 am
Doerr-Hosier Center
Kirstjen Nielsen, Peter Alexander
Property of the Aspen Institute / Photo Credit: Dan Bayer
On Saturday, Dec. 11, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope was secured on top of the Ariane 5 rocket that will launch it to space from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
After its arrival in the final assembly building, Webb was slowly hoisted nearly 130 feet and then perfectly aligned on top of the Ariane 5, after which technicians bolted Webb’s launch vehicle adapter down to the rocket.
The next step ahead is to encapsulate Webb inside the Ariane 5’s specially adapted fairing.
Read more: blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2021/12/14/webb-placed-on-top-of-aria...
Image credit: ESA-M.Pedoussaut
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Keith Williams from the New Jersey Air National Guard's 177th Fighter Wing assembles a GBU-12 Paveway II mounted on an F-16C Fighting Falcon during day one of the annual load crew competition on Jan. 9 at Atlantic City Air National Guard Base, N.J. Williams is an aircraft armament systems specialist assigned to the 177th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)
IMG_4643
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[order] Charadriiformes | [family] Scolopacidae | [latin] Calidris minuta | [UK] Little Stint | [FR] Bécasseau minute | [DE] Zwergstrandläufer | [ES] Correlimos Menudo | [IT] Gambecchio comune | [NL] Kleine Strandloper | [IRL] Gobadáinín beag
spanwidth min.: 27 cm
spanwidth max.: 30 cm
size min.: 14 cm
size max.: 15 cm
Breeding
incubation min.: 20 days
incubation max.: 21 days
fledging min.: 0 days
fledging max.: 0 days
broods 1
eggs min.: 3
eggs max.: 4
Little Sandpiper
Status: Scarce passage migrant - occurs while on passage from northern Scandinavia and Russia between August & October.
Conservation Concern: Green-listed in Ireland. The European population has been evaluated as Secure.
Identification: The smallest regularly occurring wader in Ireland, mostly seen on passage from August to October. It is roughly two-thirds the size of a Dunlin, with which it often associates. Its small size, rufous tones on the upperparts contrasting with a white underparts and agitated rapid feeding action all help to identify it. It has black legs and a small pointed bill. Most of the birds occurring here are juveniles, which show a distinctive white "V" on the back - visible as the bird bends to feed. Usually seen singly or in groups of less than five.
Similar Species: Dunlin
Call: Sharp, short, high-pitched 'stit' in flight. Song is a weak and repeated 'swee', with the occasional 'svirr-r-r'.
Diet: Feeds on invertebrates found on mudflats.
Breeding: Does not breed in Ireland. Passage birds seen in Ireland breed on the tundra of northern Siberia.
Wintering: Little Stints winter on the Mediterranean coast, as well as tropical Africa.
Where to see: Mid-Clare Coast (Mal Bay-Doonbeg Bay) in County Clare, Ballycotton and Shanagarry in County Cork, as well as Tacumshin in County Wexford are reliable sites. Very few records from November to July.
Physical characteristics
Tiny, stint with short bill, feathers of upperparts have dark brown cintres and pale rufous fringes or tips. Mantle with yellowish edges forming distinct "V". Head, neck and breast rufous buff with brown streaks, rest of underparts, throat and chin white. Female averages larger. Non-breeding adult has brownish grey upperparts mottled dark and fringed pale, crown gey, streaked dark, eyestripe and sides of breast dull grey, rest of face and underparts white.
Habitat
Tundra, chiefly on dry ground, often among dwarf willows, near swampy areas or salt marshes. On migration found at small inland waters and riverbanks, or coastal, on mudflats and seashore. In winter quarters mainly coastal, at estuarine mudflats, enclosed lagoons, tidal creeks, also at inland fresh waters.
Other details
Calidris minuta breeds in the arctic north of Norway and Russia, with Europe accounting for less than half of its global breeding range. Although estimates of its European breeding population vary widely, it is probably relatively large (as many as 460,000 pairs), and was stable between 1970-1990. Although there were fluctuations in Norway during 1990-2000, the stronghold population in Russia was stable, and the species probably remained stable overall.
Feeding
Feeds by rapid pecking actions, sometimes probes. Detects prey by sight. Gregarious, in small to large flocks, sometimes up to several thousand birds, and sometimes defends feeding territory.
Breeding
Bredding in June-July. Monogamous, polygynous or polyandrous. Little or no fidelity to breeding site. Nest on ground, exposed, but sometimes covered by vegetation, and lined with leaves and pieces of grass. 4 eggs, incubation 21 days, by both parents, but in cases of polygamy by male or female only. Polyandrous females may incubate a second clutch. Chick orange to tawny, mottled above with black bands and dense rows of white or pale down tips, white underparts. Chic care by one parent.
Migration
Migratory; in broad front across much of W Palearctic; movements S-SW in Jul-Nov, birds returning mid-May to early Jun. Juveniles probably migrate farther W than adults, due to weather displacement. Finnish and Swedish population crosses C Europe, Italy, Mediterranean, France and Tunisia; also major routes between C Mediterranean and Black Sea, and via Caspian Sea and Kazakhstan lakes to and from E & S Africa, apparently following route via Rift Valley lakes; W & C Siberian breeders presumably winter in India, passing through Kazakhstan and also N through Mongolia and Tuva. In Britain, commoner in autumn than in spring, with few birds passing winter. Small numbers may migrate along E Asian coasts, including Hong Kong and Philippines. Many immatures remain S all year. Typical migrating flocks comprise 20-30 birds.
Sparrowhawk,
In many places still scarce after decades of accidental pesticide poisoning and centuries of persecution, the Sparrowhawk is common and familiar in other areas where its recovery has been complete, It typically soars over woods, perches inconspicuously, or dashes by, low, with a flap-flap-glide action, It is bold enough to hunt in gardens and parks but is essentially a forest-edge bird, extending its hunting range into more open country in winter, Males are much smaller than females,
Broad wings and a long tail give great manoeuvrability in tight spaces and accuracy when hunting,
Voice;- Repetitive kek-kek-kek-kek-kek, thin, squealing peee-ee, but generally quiet away from nest,
Nesting;- Small, flat platform of thin twigs om flat branch close to trunk, 4 or 5 eggs, 1 brood, March - June,
Feeding;- Hunts small birds, darting along hedges, woodland edges, or into gardens to take prey by surprise, males take tits and finches, finches, females thrushes and pigeons,
Occurrence, Throughout Europe, except in Iceland, in wooded farmland and hills and forest, In winter, in more open areas, including salt marshes with adjacent woodland, Hunts almost anywhere, including forays into gardens where small birds are fed,
Order;- Accipitriformes,
Family;- Accipitridae,
Species;- Accipiter nisus,
Length;- 28 - 40cm ( 11 - 16in ),
Wingspan;- 60 - 80cm ( 23.5 - 32in ),
Weight;- 150-320g ( 5 - 12oz ),
Lifespan;- Up to 10 years,
Social;- Family groups,
Status;- Secure,
July 19, 2018
9:00 am - 10:00 am
Doerr-Hosier Center
Kirstjen Nielsen, Peter Alexander
Property of the Aspen Institute / Photo Credit: Dan Bayer
MTA launches pilot on Monday, July 24, 2023 to test an automated wheelchair securement device, the Quantum Self Securement Station, on ten buses along the M7 route.
Credit: MTA
Of course no trip to Xi'an is complete without visiting the Terracotta Warriors.
Xi'an, Shaanxi, Sept 2008
Nikon F2 A (1978)
Lens: Nikkor 50 mm
B&W Ilford Film 35 mm
HP5 400 ISO exposed to 800 ISO
East Germany, photographed 1991
Our Lady of Victories was built 1926 on land purchased with funds raised from the sale of the old presbytery. For many years the old church [St Mary’s] had been found totally inadequate to accommodate the ever-growing congregation.
Included is a special chapel for the Nuns, whose school adjoins.
After very careful consideration the architects, Messrs Garlick and Jackman, adopted the Italian Renaissance as their basis.
The Most Reverend Robert William Spence OP DD, Archbishop of Adelaide, laid the foundation stone 3 October 1926.
The opening ceremony of Our Lady of Victories, Glenelg’s new Roman Catholic Church, in High Street, was performed by Archbishop Spence.
This is an imposing building, based on the Corinthian or Roman architecture. The facade is finished off in white Atlas cement, giving the appearance of solid stone. There are four massive Corinthian pillars, surmounted with Ascanthus feathers, above which rises a canopy and pediment. Above all is a large marble cross, which will be flooded with light at night.
Entrance to the church is gained by a short flight of marble steps, and one then passes through ornate polished blackwood doors, in the centre of which are coloured lead-lights.
The interior of the church is beautifully finished off, the Romanesque style prevailing throughout. The altar and sanctuaries are framed in Corinthian pillars and pilasters on the sides, with fibrous plaster panels, to which are attached symbolical paintings. The ventilation of the church is secured through the agency of a number of panels dropped a few inches from the ceilings, which adds considerably to the general effect.
The choir gallery is spacious, and contains a fine pipe organ installed by Dodd and Son, of Adelaide.
All the windows are of coloured leadlights, with a symbolical emblem in the centre. The floor of the sanctuary is laid down in oak parquetry.
On the wall above the altar is a magnificent painting depicting the nativity of Christ, a Correggio copy valued at some hundreds of pounds.
The lighting effect of the altar is particularly fine, throwing the picture out in glorious relief. The cost of the building was nearly £20,000.
A large crowd assembled to witness the opening, and the local residents were augmented by 300 people who journeyed by boat from Edithburgh on Sunday morning.
At 3 o'clock the procession left the vestry of the old church. The Archbishop then performed the ceremony of blessing and consecration outside and inside the church, after which the doors were thrown open.
Welcome to Visitors
Father J D Murphy was the priest in charge at Glenelg. He paid a glowing tribute to Mr S Jackman (of the firm of Garlick & Jackman) for the splendid work he had given them, and also referred in eulogistic terms to the contractors (Messrs Webb & Williams) and the sub-contractors.
During the afternoon Mr W B Hills AMUA, played the second and third movements from Mendelssohn's first organ sonata, and the "War march of priests" (Mendelssohn's), from "Athalie." The recital was given on the organ, which was not quite completely installed. The collection taken up resulted in the realisation of £3,000. [Ref: Glenelg Guardian (SA) 24-11-1927]
The Dunsfold Collection
Alfold - Surrey
England - United Kingdom
June 2015
This LHD diesel Maestro mule registered J426 TVU is one of around 25 built in 1994 at Land Rover’s MCE satellite factory. Petrol and diesel variants were made in both RHD and LHD. Their purpose was on-road testing of the Freelander running gear without taking prototype or pre-production vehicles into the public view.
These mules were made to be as inconspicuous as possible with either black or cream paint, disguised wheels, fuel fillers and older registration plates, although anyone getting close enough might have wondered why these ‘vans’ were fitted with roll cages!
When we acquired it, TVU had a major fault in the immobiliser system and various other issues, and also looked very untidy having been robbed of quite a few parts while sitting in the factory scrap queue. We secured an early Freelander MoT failure which provided us with a working ECU, keys and other parts. To our astonishment, after a little bit of tickling it started first time! And even had a clutch.
U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. John Lynch, a 22-year-old Brookfield, Conn., native and motor transport operator with 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, posts security during an air interdiction force mission here, Dec. 7. The AIF mission was conducted in support of an Afghan Border Police led clearing operation in Khan-Neshin. During the mission, Marines and sailors from Charlie Company, 1/25, and 2nd Bn., 11th Marines, circled above, searching for suspicious vehicles or personnel. The AIF plays a unique role with Regimental Combat Team 5's counter-insurgency operations in southern Helmand.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alfred V. Lopez)
Schweiz / Berner Oberland - Jungfraujoch
Aletsch Glacier seen from Sphinx Observatory.
Aletschgletscher gesehen vom Sphinx-Observatorium.
The Jungfraujoch (German: lit. "maiden saddle") is a saddle connecting two major 4000ers of the Bernese Alps: the Jungfrau and the Mönch. It lies at an elevation of 3,463 metres (11,362 ft) above sea level and is directly overlooked by the rocky prominence of the Sphinx. The Jungfraujoch is a glacier saddle, on the upper snows of the Aletsch Glacier, and part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch area, situated on the boundary between the cantons of Bern and Valais, halfway between Interlaken and Fiesch.
Since 1912, the Jungfraujoch has been accessible to tourists by the Jungfrau line, a railway from Interlaken and Kleine Scheidegg, running partly underground through a tunnel through the Eiger and Mönch. The Jungfraujoch railway station, at an elevation of 3,454 metres (11,332 ft) is the highest in Europe. It lies east of the saddle, below the Sphinx station, and is connected to the Top of Europe building, which includes several panoramic restaurants, shops, exhibitions, and a post office. Several tunnels lead outside, where secured hiking trails on the crevassed glacier can be followed, in particular to the Mönchsjoch Hut. The normal route to the Jungfrau and Mönch starts from there.
The Sphinx Observatory, one of the highest astronomical observatories in the world, provides an additional viewing platform at a height of 3,572 metres (11,719 ft), the second-highest in Switzerland. It can be reached by an elevator from the Jungfraujoch. The observatory houses one of the Global Atmosphere Watch's atmospheric research stations. The Jungfraujoch radio relay station, which is not accessible to the public, is installed west of the Jungfraujoch, on the Jungfrau ridge. It is Europe's highest radio relay station.
Etymology
Swiss and Austro-Bavarian German Joch (lit. 'yoke') is a term for 'ridge between two higher peaks' recorded in the 14th century (Grimm, Deutsches Wörterbuch "bereits im 14. jahrh. als ortsname: des gotzhus zwing und ban vahet an Rotenhalden und denne die roten bachtalen uf unz an den grat, und den grat obnan hin ob Grüblen hin iemerme, unz an Joch. und ab Joch unz an Stoerben. weisth. 1, 4 (Zürich)").
The name Jungfrau ('maiden, virgin'), which refers to the highest mountain overlooking the Jungfraujoch, is most likely derived from the name Jungfrauenberg given to Wengernalp, so named for the nuns of Interlaken Monastery, its historical owner. However, the "virgin" peak was heavily romanticized as a "goddess" or "priestess" only in late 18th- to 19th-century Romanticism. After the first ascent in 1811 by Swiss alpinist Johann Rudolf Meyer, the peak was jokingly referred to as Mme Meyer (Mrs. Meyer).
Geographic setting
The Jungfraujoch is a snow saddle located directly between the summits of Mathildespitze (west) and Sphinx (east). It is, however, most notably the lowest point between the Jungfrau and the Mönch, respectively third and fourth highest mountains in the Bernese Alps, and the key col of the former. The south side (canton of Valais), almost flat, is constituted by the Jungfraufirn, one of the branches of the Aletsch Glacier, the longest in the Alps. From the south, the Jungfraujoch can be relatively easily accessed by mountaineers in two days from the region of Fiesch, via the Konkordia Hut. The north side (canton of Bern) is almost vertical with a difference of height of nearly 3,000 metres from the bottom of the valley at Interlaken, with no easy natural access. For those reasons, the only easy and quick access to the Jungfraujoch is through the 7 kilometre-long tunnel of the Jungfrau Railway, accessed via Kleine Scheidegg on the north side, the railway pass between Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald.
Administrativelly, the Jungfraujoch is split between the territories of the municipalities of Lauterbrunnen and Fieschertal. Nearly all built infrastructure, including the Jungfraujoch railway station, Top of Europe complex and the Sphinx Observatory, are on the Valais side of the border, therefore in the municipality of Fieschertal. The ridge between the Jungfrau and the Mönch is a major European watershed as well. The north side is drained by the Weisse Lütschine, the Aare and the Rhine. The south side is drained by the Massa and the Rhone.
First crossing
There is a tradition in the Bernese Oberland, supported by some documentary evidence, that a pass existed between Grindelwald and Fiesch in Valais in the late medieval period, later lost to the advancing glaciers. With the early development of tourism in Switzerland and the exploration of the High Alps in the 19th century, there were once again attempts to traverse the great ridge that encloses the head of the Aletsch Glacier, and connecting Fiesch with Grindelwald and Wengernalp. Four such routes were found, with the Jungfraujoch and the Eigerjoch being among the most difficult passes in the Alps, despite the former having a relatively easy southern approach on the Aletsch Glacier.
The first ascent of the north side of the Jungfraujoch succeeded in July 1862, by a party of six English climbers and six Swiss guides: Leslie Stephen, F. J. Hardy, H. B. George, Living, Moore, and Morgan, with Christian Almer, Christian and Peter Michel, Ulrich Kauffmann, P. Baumann, and C. Bohren as guides. The time of ascent from Wengernalp was nine hours.
The party turned back on the first day at a bergschrund, returning on the following day with a ladder 25 ft (7.6 m) in length, carried by Peter Rubi, a porter from Grindelwald. The way lay at first by the rocky buttress of the Mönch, separating the Eiger and Guggi glaciers. From the buttress the route descended a short distance in order to reach the Guggi Glacier, which could be ascended to a plateau. This halting place was reached in about three hours.
Above the bergschrund was a second and smaller plateau which was situated immediately under the long slopes of broken neve that lay below the saddle. The final and very arduous stage in the ascent was a single patch of dark rocks jutted out from the snow in the ridge connecting the Jungfrau with the Mönch. After more than an hour of climbing, a great wall of ice, whose projecting cornice of snow was fringed by long icicles, had to be avoided bearing left in the direction of the Mönch, along the base of the wall by a slippery pathway of ice formed from the dripping from the icicles above. At a point where the pathway thinned out nearly to a point, and was cut across by a transverse crevasse, the wall became low enough to be scaled by the ladder. This was the last serious obstacle: a moderate slope of névé, unbroken by crevasses, then led up to the summit of the saddle.
After reaching the first patch of rocks, a short way below the saddle on the south side, the party divided: George and Moore, with C. Almer and U. Kaufmann went down to the Eggishorn and Fiesch, therefore completing the first crossing of the Jungfraujoch, while the remainder of the party returned to Grindelwald by the Mönchsjoch.
Jungfrau Railway
History
Adolf Guyer-Zeller first thought of the idea of a tunnel in 1893, and at that point, he had planned to have seven stations inside the tunnel before reaching the peak of the Sphinx. The building of the tunnel started on July 27, 1896 and took 16 years to complete.[6] The construction phase was troubled by many problems including monetary shortages, inclement weather and mounting deaths due to construction accidents. The worst accident occurred in 1908, when 30 tons of dynamite accidentally exploded.
When construction finally finished, the railway reached only to the height of the Jungfraujoch saddle, rather than the summit of the Sphinx, and had only two intermediate stations. However, even in its current state, the Jungfraubahn is a significant achievement in engineering and construction, still holding the title for highest railway in Europe.
Railway
The train into the mountain leaves from Kleine Scheidegg, which can be reached by trains from Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. The train enters the tunnel running eastward through the Eiger shortly after leaving Kleine Scheidegg.
It runs close behind the Eiger's north face, stopping at Eigerwand, where there is a window about 8 m long and a metre high, halfway up the face. The windows have been placed in holes used to remove excavated rock from the tunnel during construction, and are also occasionally used as access points, by climbers, and also rescue parties. This window was used for one of the final scenes of a Clint Eastwood spy movie, The Eiger Sanction. There one can get off the train to admire the view before the train continues five minutes later. The tunnel then turns west, heading towards the Jungfrau. There is a second stop at a window looking out on the Eismeer ("Sea of Ice") before the train continues to the Jungfraujoch. The tunnel was constructed between 1898 and 1912; it is about 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) long, with gradients of up to 25%. The journey from Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch takes approximately 50 minutes including the stops at Eigerwand and Eismeer; the downhill return journey taking only 35 minutes.
The Jungfraujoch complex plays an important role in John Christopher's The Tripods novels.
Climate
Located above the permanent snow line, the Jungfraujoch is officially the coldest place in Switzerland, although other higher locations with no weather station, for example the top of the nearby Jungfrau and Finsteraarhorn, probably experience a more extreme climate. According to Köppen climate classification, the Jungfraujoch has an alpine climate on the border between tundra climate (ET) and ice cap climate (EF) with long, cold winters lasting most of the year and a brief period during summer where the average daily highs rise above freezing.
(Wikipedia)
The Aletsch Glacier (German: Aletschgletscher, German pronunciation: [ˈalɛtʃˌɡlɛtʃɐ]) or Great Aletsch Glacier (Grosser Aletschgletscher) is the largest glacier in the Alps. It has a length of about 23 km (14 mi) (2014), has about a volume of 15.4 km3 (3.7 cu mi) (2011), and covers about 81.7 km2 (31.5 square miles) (2011) in the eastern Bernese Alps in the Swiss canton of Valais. The Aletsch Glacier is composed of four smaller glaciers converging at Konkordiaplatz, where its thickness was measured by the ETH to be still near 1 km (3,300 ft). It then continues towards the Rhône valley before giving birth to the Massa. The Aletsch Glacier is – like most glaciers in the world today – a retreating glacier. As of 2016, since 1980 it lost 1.3 kilometres (0.81 mi) of its length, since 1870 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi), and lost also more than 300 metres (980 ft) of its thickness.
The whole area, including other glaciers is part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.
Geography
The Aletsch Glacier is one of the many glaciers located between the cantons of Bern and Valais on the Bernese Alps located east of the Gemmi Pass. The whole area is considered to be the largest glaciated area in western Eurasia. The Fiescher and Aar Glaciers lying on the east have similar extensions.
Except the Finsteraarhorn, all the highest summits of the Bernese Alps are located within the drainage basin of the glacier. The Jungfrau and Mönch constitute the northern boundary; the Gross Fiescherhorn and Gross Wannenhorn lie on its east side; finally the culminating point, the Aletschhorn (4,193 m (13,757 ft)) is located on the west side.
Before reaching the maximum flow, four smaller glaciers converge at Konkordiaplatz:
From the western mouth flows the Grosser Aletschfirn, which runs along the northern foot of the Aletschhorn and Dreieckhorn. The Grosser Aletschfirn is supplied from the north by three notable firns: the Äbeni Flue-Firn, the Gletscherhornfirn, and the Kranzbergfirn. All of these firns have their starting points at around 3,800 m (12,500 ft). From the Äbeni Flue-Firn to the Konkordiaplatz, the Grosser Aletschfirn is 9 km (5.6 mi) long and is on average about 1.5 km (0.93 mi) wide. On the west, the Grosser Aletschfirn connects with the Langgletscher over the 3,158 m (10,361 ft) high glacier pass, the Lötschenlücke, into the Lötschental.
From the northwestern mouth flows the Jungfraufirn. This firn in fact represents the straight continuation of the Aletsch Glacier, yet is the shortest of the four tributary glaciers. It has its origin on the southern flank of the Mönch and at the eastern flank of the Jungfrau with the Jungfraujoch in-between. Up to the Konkordiaplatz, the Jungfraufirn is a scarce 7 km (4.3 mi) long, and returns to flank the Kranzberg in the west and the Trugberg in the east. At its highest point, it is 2 km (1.2 mi) wide, and further down it is still a good 1 km (0.62 mi) wide.
From the northern mouth flows the Ewigschneefäld ("Eternal snow field"), where its starting point takes the east flank of the Mönch. In an elbow, it flanks from Trugberg in the west and the Gross Fiescherhorn and Grünhorn in the east, flowing on to the Konkordiaplatz. Up to here, it is about 8 km (5.0 mi) long and averages about 1.2 km (0.75 mi) wide.
The mouth at the Konkordiaplatz it follows over a rise with a descent from 25 to 30 percent; here, the glacier is sharply split. Against the north is the Ewigschneefäld over the snow-covered pass of the Unners Mönchsjoch (3,518 m (11,542 ft)), connected with the catchment area of the Ischmeer (Wallis German for "Ice Sea"). Through the Obere Mönchsjoch (3,624 m (11,890 ft)) between the Mönch and the Trugberg stands a connection to the Jungfraufirn.
From the east, the smallest firn arrives at the Konkordiaplatz: the Grüneggfirn. Its northern arm begins below the Grünegghorn (3,860 m (12,660 ft)). The southern arm collects its snow and ice in the pot flanked by the Wyssnollen, Fiescher Gabelhorn (3,866 m (12,684 ft)), and the Chamm. Between the peaks Wyssnollen and Grünhörnli another glacier pass, the Grünhornlücke (3,279 m (10,758 ft)), connects to the Fieschergletscher. The Grüneggfirn enters the Konkordiaplatz in a gap between the mountainsides Grünegg to the north and the Fülberg to the south. On the western side of the Fülberg the Konkordia hut (mountain hut) overlooks the whole Konkordiaplatz at an altitude of 2,850 m (9,350 ft).
South of Konkordiaplatz, the glacier runs towards the valley of the Oberwallis (Upper Valais); on the east side, near Bettmeralp, lies a small glacier lake, Märjelensee (2,301 m (7,549 feet)); from the western side used to enter the Mittelaletschgletscher, but since the end of the 20th century the connection with the Aletsch Glacier has been lost. Further down, until about 1880, the Oberaletschgletscher did also enter the Aletsch Glacier at its mouth. But since then both glaciers have been retreating so far that they do not connect anymore (the Upper Aletsch Glacier did retreat about 1.3 km (0.81 mi) from its connecting point with the Aletsch Glacier), but both serve now only as the source of the river Massa. The river flows through the Lake Gibidum (a reservoir, and coincidentally representing the glacier's mouth region in the 19th century, which is a retreat of more than 4 km (2.5 mi)) and a gorge of the same name before reaching the Rhône near Brig.
Tourism
The area of the Aletsch Glacier and some surrounding valleys is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, thus it is protected and the facilities are mostly restricted to the external zones. The region between Belalp, Riederalp and Bettmeralp (which is called Aletsch Region) in Valais gives access to the lower part of the glacier. The Bettmerhorn and Eggishorn are popular view points and are accessible by cable car. The Massa river can be crossed since 2008 by a suspension bridge, thus allowing hikes between the left and the right part of the glacier.
The Jungfraujoch railway station (3,450 m) gives a direct access to the upper Aletsch Glacier as well as the normal route to the Jungfrau. It can be reached only from Interlaken in the canton Bern. Hiking paths pass the Konkordia Hut or the Hollandia Hut, eventually reaching other glaciers in the massif.
On the Riederfurka, at 2,065 metres between Riederalp and the glacier, is located the historic Villa Cassel, former summer residence of many famous and influential guests from the worlds of politics and finance. The house is now one of the centers of the environmental organization Pro Natura, which hosts a permanent exhibition about the site.
Panorama
Also at the mouth of the Konkordiaplatz from the east is the small but important Grüneggfirn (3 km long and averaging 600 m wide). This firn is connected in the over the glacier pass Grünhornlücke (3280 m high) to the Fiescher Glacier in the east.
From the Konkordiaplatz, the Aletsch Glacier has a width of approximately 1.5 km and moves at a rate of 180 m per year to the southeast on course with the Rhône valley, bordering the Dreieckhorn in the west and the great Wannenhorn in the east. It then takes a great right turn and bends ever closer to the southwest, running through the edge of the Eggishorn and Bettmerhorn of the Rhône valley. The lowest part of the great Aletsch Glacier is largely covered with detritus of the lateral and medial moraines. The glacier's toe currently lies about 1560 m high, far beneath the local tree line. From it springs the Massa stream, which flows through the Massa Canyon and is used to generate hydroelectric power. It continues through the upper half of the Brig, eventually entering into the Rhône.
The great Aletsch Glacier shows considerable ice cover. At the Konkordiaplatz, it has an ice cover of more than 900 m, but as it moves to the south, the greater part of the ice melts, gradually decreasing the cover to around 150 m.
The characteristically dark medial moraine, situated almost in the middle of the glacier, runs protracted in two bands from the Konkordiaplatz along the whole length to the glacier's toe-zone. This medial moraine is collected from the ice of three large ice fields, which all run together. The westernmost medial moraine has been named the Kranzbergmoräne, and the easternmost carries the name Trugbergmoräne.
Formation and evolution
The Aletsch Glacier resulted from the accumulation and compaction of snow. Glaciers generally form where snow and ice accumulation exceed snow and ice melt. As the snow and ice thicken it reaches a point where it begins to move due to a combination of gravity and pressure of the overlying snow and ice.
During the last glacial periods, the Aletsch Glacier was much larger than now. 18,000 years ago the lower part of the ridge, between Riederalp and the glacier, was completely covered by ice. Only the summits of the Bettmerhorn, Eggishorn and the Fusshörner were above the glacier. After an important retreat, the glacier again advanced 11,000 years ago during the last glacial period. The glacier reached the Rhône valley, and its ice the Riederfurka. Remaining moraines are still visible in the Aletsch Forest.
Since the last glaciation, the glacier generally retreated. However slight climatic changes happened and, in 1860, the glacier was 3 km longer and the ice level 200 m higher.
As for many other glaciers, records show a major longer-term retreat trend. The Aletsch Glacier receded by 3.2 km (2.0 mi) since 1870, including 1.3 km (0.81 mi) since 1980.[6] A record retreat of 114.6 metres (376 ft) happened in 2006 alone.
Since the end of the Little Ice Age in 1850 the glacier has lost 20 percent of its ice mass, considerably less than other glaciers in Switzerland, which have lost up to 50 percent. This is explained with the large size of the Aletsch Glacier, which reacts much slower to climate change than smaller glaciers. It is however estimated that, by 2100, the glacier will have only one tenth of its 2018 ice mass.
Photo opportunity
On August 18, 2007, photographer Spencer Tunick used hundreds of naked people in a "living sculpture" on the Aletsch Glacier in a photo shoot which he said was intended to draw attention to global warming and the shrinking of the world's glaciers. The temperature was about 10 °C (50 °F) at the time of the photo shoot. The 600 participants on the shrinking glacier said that they had volunteered for Tunick (a collaboration with Greenpeace) to let the world know about the effects of global warming on the melting Swiss glaciers.
(Wikipedia)
Das Jungfraujoch ist mit 3466 m ü. M. der tiefste Punkt im Verbindungsgrat zwischen dem Mönch und der Jungfrau in den Berner Alpen, auf der Grenze zwischen den Kantonen Bern und Wallis. Das Joch ist weit und stark überfirnt. Aufgrund der auch dort stattfindenden Gletscherschmelze sinkt es jedes Jahr im Schnitt einige Dezimeter ab. Es gehört zu den bedeutendsten Reisezielen in der Schweiz. Etwa 1 Million Touristen (Stand 2018) fahren jährlich zum höchstgelegenen Bahnhof Europas.
Umgebung
In der Umgebung des Jungfraujochs befinden sich einige Viertausender der Berner Alpen. Im Nordosten befinden sich der Mönch (4107 m ü. M.) sowie der Eiger (3967 m ü. M.) und im Südwesten die Jungfrau (4158 m ü. M.). Im Süden des Jungfraujochs ist hinter dem Konkordiaplatz das Aletschhorn zu sehen. 200 Meter westlich befindet sich auf dem Grat zur Jungfrau die 3557 Meter hohe Mathildespitze, etwa 600 Meter östlich des Jochs erhebt sich die Sphinx, eine markante kleine Spitze mit einer Höhe von 3571 Metern. Sie trägt eine Aussichtsplattform und ein wissenschaftliches Observatorium (Sphinx-Observatorium). In ihrem Innern befindet sich auf 3454 Metern Höhe die Endstation der Jungfraubahn. Diese Station ist der höchstgelegene Bahnhof Europas (daher der Beiname Top of Europe). Durch einen Stollen gelangt man von hier aus auf die Walliser Seite und zum Aletschgletscher. Der schnellste Aufzug der Schweiz führt auf den Gipfel der Sphinx. Ein im Sommer üblicherweise für Spaziergänger präparierter Weg führt vom Jungfraujoch zur Mönchsjochhütte. Beim Jungfraujoch selbst gibt es für Besucher keine Übernachtungsmöglichkeit. Die Stollen werden nachts verschlossen, so dass auch freies Biwakieren nicht möglich ist.
Passübergang
Als Übergang für Fuss- oder Skitouristen vom Berner Oberland ins Wallis oder umgekehrt besitzt das Jungfraujoch praktisch keine Bedeutung. Der Weg vom Wallis über den Aletschgletscher hinauf ist – von der Spaltengefahr im Jungfraufirn abgesehen – leicht. Der Aufstieg vom Berner Oberland her ist jedoch eine beschwerliche Hochtour (Steileis, G 5-6, zeitweise unmöglich).
Erschliessung
Seit dem 1. August 1912 ist das Jungfraujoch durch die Jungfraubahn erschlossen. Von Grindelwald oder Lauterbrunnen erreicht man mit der Wengernalpbahn die Station Kleine Scheidegg. Diese Station auf 2061 m ü. M. ist die „Talstation“ der Jungfraubahn. Von hier aus muss die Jungfraubahn 9,34 Kilometer bezwingen, davon verlaufen die letzten 7,32 km unterirdisch, bis sie am Jungfraujoch ankommt. Die unterirdische Endstation auf 3454 m ü. M. ist der höchste Bahnhof Europas. Auf ihrem Weg hält die Bahn an zwei Stationen: Eigergletscher (2320 m) und Eismeer (3158 m). Seit dem 11. Dezember 2016 wird die Station Eigerwand (2864 m) nicht mehr bedient.
Bauten und Anlagen
Seit 1912, mit der Eröffnung der Jungfraubahn, wird für das Wohlergehen der Besucher auf dem Jungfraujoch gesorgt. Mehrere Restaurants, aber auch spezielle Aussichtsplattformen und Erlebnisse wurden eigens dafür geplant und realisiert.
Restaurants
Bereits bei der Eröffnung weihte man das provisorische „Touristenhaus“ mit dem höchstgelegenen Restaurant Europas ein. Mit seiner Eröffnung in 1924 ergänzte das neue „Berghaus Jungfraujoch“ – mit Giebeldach und in die Felswand gebaut – dieses Touristenhaus. Es wurde als „Das Haus über den Wolken“ bekannt. Im Erdgeschoss befanden sich eine geräumige Wartehalle mit geheiztem Fussboden, Bahn- und Postschaltern und ein Bazar. Besonders ins Auge stach die „Walliserstube“, die mit der Arvenholztäfelung und Anwendung von Naturstein eine besondere Charakteristik erhielt. Gäste aus aller Welt übernachteten in einem der 18 gemütlichen, holzgetäfelten Schlafzimmer mit Waschbecken und Krügen auf dem Nachttisch. Auf der Aussichtslaube stand man am Ursprung des längsten und grössten zusammenhängenden Gletschers der Alpen, dem Aletschgletscher. 1972 wütete im Berghaus ein Feuer mit erheblichen Folgen: Lediglich das Bahnbüro, die Perronanlage in der rückwärtigen Felsenkaverne sowie die Forschungsstation konnten vor dem Feuer geschützt werden. Nach dem Unglück lud die Jungfraubahn Architekten zu einem Wettbewerb ein, ein neues Gebäude zu entwerfen. Der Gewinner war Ernst E. Anderegg mit dem im Hang eingefügten „Top of Europe“, das 1987 eingeweiht wurde.
Sphinx-Observatorium und Forschungsstation
Bereits vor Baubeginn der Jungfraubahn war die Einrichtung eines Observatoriums und einer meteorologischen Forschungsstation vom Gründer der Bahn, Adolf Guyer-Zeller, geplant. 1931 konnten die Laboratorien für Meteorologie, Glaziologie, Strahlungsforschung, Astronomie, Physiologie und Medizin auf (3571 m ü. M.) mit einem Felsenheim für 13 Forscher eingeweiht werden. 1937 wurde das Sphinx-Observatorium bezogen. 1950 wurde dem Observatorium die Kuppel für astronomische Beobachtungen aufgesetzt, die seither immer wieder den modernsten Erfordernissen der Wissenschaft angepasst wird. Das Forschungsgebäude selbst ist nicht zu besichtigen.
Unterhalb des Sphinx-Observatoriums und östlich des Bahnhofs und der Restaurants befindet sich die Hochalpine Forschungsstation, eine an die Universität Bern angegliederte Forschungseinrichtung der International Foundation High Altitude Research Stations Jungfraujoch and Gornergrat. Die Gästezimmer der Forschungsstation sind die einzige Übernachtungsmöglichkeit auf dem Jungfraujoch, aber nur Wissenschaftlern und den Betreuern vorbehalten.
Das Observatorium ist mit einem 111,4 Meter langen Lift erschlossen. Die Aussichtsplattform bietet den Besuchern bei schönem Wetter einen Ausblick bis in die Nachbarländer Frankreich, Deutschland und Italien. 1993 wurde die Sphinx für die Besucher renoviert. Drei Jahre waren nötig, um sie gemeinsam mit der schnellsten Liftanlage der Schweiz, der verglasten Aussichtshalle und der rund um das Gebäude verlaufenden Terrasse fertigzustellen.
Eispalast
Zwei Bergführer begannen in den 30er Jahren eine gewaltige Halle aus dem Gletschereis zu schneiden. In Handarbeit, mit Eispickel und Säge, entstand ein 1'000 Quadratmeter grosses Labyrinth – der Eispalast. Das 1934 begonnene Werk ist nie vollendet worden. Durch die Ausdünstung der tausenden Besucher muss die Grotte auf minus drei Grad künstlich klimatisiert werden. Die Decken und das Gewölbe der Gänge müssen regelmässig nachgehauen werden. 1992 bekam der Eispalast einen neuen Zugang und ist seit 2002 durch den Ice-Gateway erreichbar.
Post
Auf dem Jungfraujoch liegt auch das höchstgelegene Postbüro Europas mit der eigenen Postleitzahl 3801. Obwohl die Postleitzahl gemäss Schweizerischer Post dem Kanton Wallis zugewiesen ist, so befindet sie sich dennoch im Zahlengebiet 38xx der im Tal liegenden Gemeinden des Kantons Bern.
Richtstrahlstation Ostgrat
Am Ostgrat der Jungfrau auf nicht ganz 3700 Meter Höhe befand sich die 2011 abgebaute Richtstrahlstation Ostgrat. Vom Jungfraujoch führen eine teilweise durch den Gletscher geführte Stollenbahn sowie eine einspurige Standseilbahn zur Anlage. In der Mitte der Standseilbahnstrecke befindet sich eine Zwischenstation, welche für Forschungszwecke genutzt wird. Es existieren dort Photovoltaik-Testanlagen.
Versorgung
Die intensive Sonnenstrahlung bietet sich zur Energienutzung an. So wird die tagsüber einfallende Wärme für die Nacht gespeichert. Aber auch die zahlreichen sonst kaum beachteten Wärmequellen – von Lampen über Elektrogeräte bis zur Körperwärme der anwesenden Personen – werden in die Regulierung der Raumtemperatur einbezogen. So gibt es im gesamten Berghaus keinen Heizkörper. Sogar wenn die Sonne nicht scheint und die Aussentemperatur bei minus 30 °C liegt, kann tagsüber auf zusätzliche Heizungen verzichtet werden. Nur nachts wird über die Lüftungsanlage mit elektrischer Energie so viel Wärme zugeführt, dass eine Raumtemperatur von mindestens 18 °C erhalten bleibt.
Brauchwasser wird aus Schnee gewonnen und aufbereitet. In Trockenperioden muss es nach wie vor mit Zisternenwagen auf der Schiene von der Kleinen Scheidegg heraufgebracht werden. Für das Jahr 2012 ist ein neues Projekt geplant, bei dem das Wasser durch Leitungen von der Kleinen Scheidegg mit Druckluft hinauf auf das Jungfraujoch gepumpt wird. Somit können die Zisternentransporte reduziert werden.
Das Abwasser lässt sich nicht mehr in den Gletscherschrund einleiten. Deshalb wurde eine 9,4 Kilometer lange Abwasserleitung ins Tal installiert. Sämtliche Abwässer aus Küchen, Unterkünften und Toiletten können auf diese Weise umweltfreundlich entsorgt werden.
Klima
Auf dem Jungfraujoch herrschen extreme Klimabedingungen. Die mittlere Jahrestemperatur beträgt −6,7 °C mit Schwankungen von −37 °C bis +13 °C. Die Windgeschwindigkeit kann bis zu 260 km/h betragen. Die Sonne scheint jährlich durchschnittlich 1773 Stunden. Zu jeder Jahreszeit muss mit starken Vereisungen, Schneefall und Lawinen gerechnet werden. Die Messstation von MeteoSchweiz liegt auf einer Höhe von 3571 m ü. M.
Tiere
Bis zum Jahr 2009 waren auf dem Gletscher täglich 25 Polarhunde im Einsatz. Auf einer präparierten Piste (rund 500 Meter lang) zogen die Hunde Schlitten mit Besuchern, waren aber auch für Postsendungen und Lebensmitteltransporte von Wengen zum Eigergletscher im Einsatz. Das Rudel galt als das meistfotografierte Motiv auf dem Jungfraujoch.
Für Ornithologen ist die Hochgebirgsregion interessant, da verschiedene Vogelarten zum Teil auch überwintern. Der Schneefink beispielsweise nistet und schläft in den schroffen Felswänden und findet bei den Behausungen der Forscher Futter.
(Wikipedia)
Der Grosse Aletschgletscher ist der flächenmässig grösste und längste Gletscher der Alpen. Er befindet sich auf der Südabdachung der Berner Alpen im Schweizer Kanton Wallis. Die Länge des Gletschers beträgt 22,6 km, die Fläche wird mit 78,49 km² angegeben. Der Aletschgletscher entwässert über die Massa in die Rhone. Die Fläche des gesamten Einzugsgebiets der Massa beträgt 195 km², wovon 1973 etwa zwei Drittel vergletschert waren. Oft werden bei der Flächenangabe der Ober- und Mittelaletschgletscher einbezogen, da diese früher mit dem Grossen Aletschgletscher verbunden waren. Die gesamte vergletscherte Fläche einschliesslich dieser Gletscher betrug 1973 etwa 128 km², für das Jahr 1863 wird eine Fläche von 163 km² angenommen.
Ursprung am Konkordiaplatz
Der Ursprung des Grossen Aletschgletschers liegt in der rund 3800 m hoch gelegenen Jungfrau-Region. Am Konkordiaplatz (♁645905 / 150101), einer 6 km² grossen und nur wenig geneigten Eisfläche, fliessen drei mächtige Firnströme zusammen:
Von Westen mündet der Grosse Aletschfirn, der entlang dem Nordfuss von Aletschhorn und Dreieckhorn fliesst. Der Grosse Aletschfirn wird von Norden her durch drei weitere bedeutende Firne gespeist, nämlich durch den Ebnefluhfirn, den Gletscherhornfirn und den Kranzbergfirn. Alle diese Firne nehmen ihren Ausgangspunkt auf rund 3800 m ü. M. Einschliesslich des Ebnefluhfirns hat der Grosse Aletschfirn bis zum Konkordiaplatz eine Länge von 9 km und ist durchschnittlich fast 1,5 km breit. Gegen Westen ist der Grosse Aletschfirn über den 3173 m ü. M. hohen Gletscherpass der Lötschenlücke mit dem Langgletscher verbunden, der ins Lötschental abfliesst.
Von Nordwesten mündet der Jungfraufirn, der zwar die gerade Fortsetzung des Aletschgletschers darstellt, jedoch der kürzeste der drei Tributärgletscher ist. Er hat seinen Ursprung an der Südflanke des Mönchs, am Jungfraujoch und an der Ostflanke der Jungfrau. Bis zum Konkordiaplatz legt der Jungfraufirn eine Wegstrecke von knapp 7 km zurück und wird dabei im Westen vom Kranzberg, im Osten vom Trugberg flankiert. Er ist in seinem oberen Teil 2 km, weiter unten noch gut 1 km breit.
Von Norden mündet das Ewigschneefeld, das seinen Ausgangspunkt an der Ostflanke des Mönchs nimmt und in einem Bogen, flankiert vom Trugberg im Westen sowie dem Gross Fiescherhorn und dem Grünhorn im Osten, zum Konkordiaplatz fliesst. Bis hierher ist es ungefähr 8 km lang und durchschnittlich 1,2 km breit. Die Mündung in den Konkordiaplatz erfolgt über einen Steilhang mit einem Gefälle von 25 bis 30 %; der Gletscher ist hier stark zerklüftet. Gegen Norden ist das Ewigschneefeld über den firnbedeckten Pass des Unteren Mönchsjochs (3529 m ü. M.) mit dem Einzugsgebiet des Unteren Grindelwaldgletschers verbunden. Durch das Obere Mönchsjoch (3627 m ü. M.) zwischen dem Mönch und dem Trugberg besteht eine Verbindung zum Jungfraufirn. Ferner mündet am Konkordiaplatz von Osten noch der wesentlich kleinere Grüneggfirn (3 km lang und durchschnittlich 600 m breit). Dieser ist nach Osten über den Gletscherpass der Grünhornlücke (3280 m ü. M.) mit dem Fieschergletscher verbunden.
Weiterer Verlauf
Vom Konkordiaplatz aus bewegt sich der Eisstrom mit einer Breite von ungefähr 1,5 km und mit einer Geschwindigkeit von bis zu 180 Metern pro Jahr nach Südosten in Richtung Rhonetal, gesäumt vom Dreieckhorn im Westen und dem Gross Wannenhorn im Osten. Er zeichnet dann eine grosse Rechtskurve und biegt immer mehr nach Südwesten ab, nun durch den Grat des Eggishorns und Bettmerhorns vom Rhonetal getrennt. Der unterste Teil des Grossen Aletschgletschers ist weitgehend durch das Geschiebematerial von Seiten- und Mittelmoränen bedeckt. Die Gletscherzunge liegt derzeit auf rund 1'560 Meter Höhe, weit unterhalb der lokalen Waldgrenze. Aus ihr entspringt der Bach Massa, welcher nach der Massaschlucht und einer Nutzung in einem Wasserkraftwerk, in Bitsch, oberhalb von Naters, in die Rhone (Rotten) fliesst.
Der Grosse Aletschgletscher weist beachtliche Eisdicken auf. Am Konkordiaplatz hat der Gletscher eine Eisdicke von mehr als 900 Metern, gegen Süden nimmt die Mächtigkeit des Eises allmählich auf rund 150 m ab. Charakteristisch sind die beiden dunklen, fast in der Mitte des Aletschgletschers gelegenen Moränenspuren, welche sich ab dem Konkordiaplatz auf der gesamten Länge bis in den Zungenbereich hinziehen. Es sind die Mittelmoränen, die das Eis der drei Hauptfirne voneinander trennen. Die westliche Mittelmoräne wird auch Kranzbergmoräne genannt, die östliche trägt den Namen Trugbergmoräne.
Gletscherschwankungen
In seinem Hochstadium während der Kleinen Eiszeit um die Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts erstreckte sich der Grosse Aletschgletscher noch rund 2,5 km weiter talabwärts. Aufgrund der allgemeinen Erwärmung seit etwa 1870 hat er besonders unterhalb des Konkordiaplatzes massiv an Volumen eingebüsst und sowohl an den Seiten als auch im Zungenbereich Flächen von mehreren Quadratkilometern freigegeben. Der einstmalige, in der Neuzeit höchste Gletscherstand kann gut an den noch fast vegetationslosen Seitenmoränen abgeschätzt werden. Seit 1850 hat die Eisdicke um teilweise über 100 m abgenommen. Früher waren auch die Eisströme des Oberaletschgletschers und des Mittelaletschgletschers direkt mit dem Grossen Aletschgletscher verbunden.
In der Senke zwischen dem Strahlhorn und dem Eggishorn liegt der Märjelensee, der im 19. Jahrhundert beim Gletscherhochstand zu einem Gletscherrandsee aufgestaut wurde. Seine wiederholten plötzlichen Ausbrüche durch Gletscherspalten verursachten immer wieder starke Schadenshochwasser der Massa hin zum Rhonetal.
Gegen kurzfristige Klimaschwankungen ist der Gletscher aufgrund seiner grossen Masse relativ immun. Während viele andere Gletscher Ende der 1970er Jahre bis Anfang der 1980er Jahre vorstiessen, reagierte der Aletschgletscher auf die vorübergehende Abkühlung kaum – ebenso wenig wie auf die warmen Jahre seit 1983. Aufgrund der zunehmend extremen Hitze der letzten Jahre zieht er sich aber nun doch – wie alle übrigen Alpengletscher – deutlich verstärkt zurück.
Die relative Trägheit in seinen Reaktionen auf Klimaschwankungen macht den Aletschgletscher auch zu einem idealen Untersuchungsobjekt zur Erforschung der Klimaentwicklung im Alpenraum. Die Längenschwankungen des Aletschgletschers in der Vergangenheit dürften sogar eine Rekonstruktion aller grösseren Klimaveränderungen der letzten 3200 Jahre erlauben. Die Bestimmung der verschiedenen Längenstadien des Aletschgletschers in der Vergangenheit erfolgt durch die Radiokohlenstoffdatierung fossiler Baumstämme, die der Gletscher bei einem früheren Vorstoss einmal überfahren haben muss und nun während seines aktuellen Rückzuges wieder freigibt. Der Befund fossiler Böden und von Wurzelwerk garantiert dabei, dass es sich bei dem Fundort auch um den Wuchsstandort des fossilen Baumes handelt. Durch Zählung der Jahresringe der geborgenen Stämme kann sogar der Zeitraum bestimmt werden, während dessen der Aletschgletscher den Fundort nicht erreicht hat. Mit dieser Methode wurde festgestellt, dass der Aletschgletscher bis etwa 1200 v. Chr. um einiges kleiner gewesen sein muss als gegen Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts. Für die Jahre etwa von 1200 bis 1110 v. Chr., 850 bis 750 v. Chr. und 350 bis 250 v. Chr. sind Vorstösse festgestellt worden. Dabei ist der Aletschgletscher von 900 bis 400 v. Chr. jedoch kleiner gewesen als am Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts, genauso wie von etwa 100 v. Chr. bis ins Jahr 250. Um das Jahr 300 ist eine Gletscherlänge vergleichbar der des Höchststandes im 19. Jahrhundert festzustellen.
Laut der letzten Studie der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Juni 2020) schmolz die Oberfläche des Grossen Aletschgletscher zwischen den Jahren 2001 und 2014 um mehr als fünf Meter pro Jahr in den unteren Lagen.
Tourismus
Der Aletschgletscher galt schon früh als besondere Sehenswürdigkeit für Reisende und als willkommenes Untersuchungsobjekt für Forschende. Forschungsstationen gibt es seit 1937 auf dem Jungfraujoch und seit 1976 auf der Riederfurka oberhalb der Riederalp. Durch zahlreiche Luftseilbahnen besonders gut erschlossen ist der Berggrat zwischen dem Riederhorn und dem Eggishorn, der sehr schöne Einblicke in den Zungenbereich und den unteren Teil des Gletschers gewährt. Mit dem Bau der Jungfraubahn auf das Jungfraujoch (auf der Sphinx 3571 m ü. M.) wurde 1912 auch für nicht berggewohnte Leute ein Blick in den oberen Teil des Gletschers ermöglicht.
Am Felshang des Faulbergs östlich des Konkordiaplatzes stehen auf 2850 m ü. M. die Konkordiahütten des Schweizer Alpen-Clubs SAC. Sie dienen als wichtiger Etappenort auf der hochalpinen Gletscherroute vom Jungfraujoch oder vom Lötschental in das Gebiet des Grimselpasses.
UNESCO-Weltnaturerbe
Das Gebiet des Grossen Aletschgletschers ist zusammen mit dem einzigartigen Aletschwald und den umliegenden Regionen seit dem 13. Dezember 2001 Bestandteil des UNESCO-Weltnaturerbes Schweizer Alpen Jungfrau-Aletsch.
(Wikipedia)
Sep 21 2017 - Is it worth it? The owner had to walk off with the front wheel and his bike seat leaving an expensive big ass lock wrapped around a street lamp
Secure Airparks ADL Enviro200 MMC SK22BVO is seen here heading out of Edinburgh Airport working a car park shuttle.
Besides being a place well know for its surfing culture, Onjuku is still also part functioning fishing port. Some of the boats were pulled up out of the water in a state of continual painting and repair.
With MariBeth Ashdene. More of my pictures of MariBeth, some with me, some without me. Part of the Set The Present is a Present