Gornergletscher

Panorama overview from Gornergrat in 2004 (top) and 2018 (bottom). This location is accessible by rack-and-pinion railway.

Classic glacier table near the right-hand glacier margin, view W towards the Matterhorn. Although the ice pedestal looks quite symmetrical, the granite boulder is tilted towards the S and will most likely fall off in that direction (2004).

Large glacier table between the northernmost medial moraine and the right-hand glacier margin; looking W towards the Matterhorn (2011).

Small glacier table with a very narrow ice pedestal on debris covered ice near the glacier margin. The view is towards W, W, the Breithorn is visible on the upper left. Note that the ice pedestal has ablated more on the left (S) side.

boulders widely scattered due to migration from the south side of the northernmost medial moraine on Gornergletscher. The medial moraine is on the far right, projected against the lateral moraine further back. Some boulders are at the south end of ice tails. The glacier surface is highly irregular, a typical feature of Gornergletscher (2011).

Similar view as in the previous photo, but taken from a position closer to the medial moraine. On the left, several boulders are tilted towards the S (left), leaning on their N side against an ice tail. Note that smaller debris is nearly absent between the boulders scattered over the glacier surface on the left (2011).

View from a similar location as in the previous image but looking upglacier towards Monte Rosa (mountain on the left) and Liskamm (centre-right, 2011). Again, boulder sorting is evident: Mostly large boulders have migrated from the medial moraine, partially visible on the left, towards the right (S).

This cubic metre-size boulder is perched at the S end of a particularly big ice tail. The view is towards the Matterhorn (W). In the centre, fine debris is producing cryoconite holes in the glacier ice. A small section of the medial moraine associated with this boulder is visible on the far right (2011).

boulder sorting along the northernmost medial moraine of Gornergletscher; the view is towards W (2004).

Northern margin of a medial moraine in the middle of Gornergletscher, looking W towards the Matterhorn. Most of the debris in this area is too small to produce glacier tables. Small ice ships are growing between patches of debris (2011).

In the past, some unusual glacier tables have formed on Gornergletscher: A large calving event into the ice-dammed lake below Monte Rosa produced many icebergs. Then the lake drained through an englacial tunnel, leaving some icebergs stranded on the glacier. Due to their high albedo they then were able to produce glacier tables on the dust covered glacier surface (2004).

Glacier table produced by a stranded iceberg. Parts of the capping ice boulder have broken off and are lying on the dust and debris covered glacier surface. Remarkably, most bits have broken off the capping ice boulder on its S side (left in the photo), possibly because the pedestal had melted back further on its S side (2004).

Small glacier table produced by a small stranded iceberg. A formerly deeper section, with larger stranded icebergs is on the far right. The view is towards NNW (2004).

Panoramic view taken from the path leading from Rotenboden to the glacier margin (2018). Note that on the far side of the nearest medial moraine, individual boulders are only close to the moraine's margin at first (top left), but at increasing distances further downglacier (lower right). The following images provide stronger zooms on parts of this panorama.

Zoom on to the far top left section of the previous panorama. boulder sorting has already started on the far (S) side of the medial moraine. Most boulders lie at the S end of an ice tail. View towards SE, the glacier flows towards the lower right (2018).

Zoom on the middle part of the panorama. Here, some boulders have migrated much further away from the S margin of the medial moraine, part of which is visible on the lower left. Many boulders show ice tails South is on the upper right (2018).

Zoom on the lower right part of the panorama, where boulders have migrated furthest away from the moraine. In this part, the illumination is ideal for making the ice tails easily visible. boulders are migrating roughly upwards (S) in this view, despite the glacier surface being inclined towards the N, i.e. towards the camera. The line of greatest slope can be inferred from the small groves caused by meltwater running towards and slightly to the right of the camera (2018).

Is this lonely boulder of light rusty colour headed for doom? If it continues going the way its tail indicates, it will eventually fall into a deep meltwater channel.