Swiss Village Almost Disappears After Giant Glacier Falls and Covers Everything in Mud
A village in Switzerland almost disappeared in a terrible disaster. This happened when a big glacier broke apart and crashed down the mountain. It covered the village of Blatten in thick mud and dust. The sky filled with clouds of dirt, and almost every building was buried. The people who lived in Blatten, about 300 residents, had to leave their homes earlier in the month. They were warned that the glacier could break soon.
Glacier Destroys Swiss Village
The Power of Nature
Stephane Ganzer, who is in charge of safety in the Valais region, called this event “a major catastrophe.” He told the news that about 90% of Blatten was destroyed by the landslide. A huge piece of the Birch Glacier broke away from the mountain above the village. This started the landslide, which also covered the Lonza River nearby with rocks and ice. Now, there is worry that the blocked river could cause flooding if the water cannot flow.
Blatten was a beautiful place in the Lötschental valley. People loved living there. But after weeks of warnings, the disaster happened on May 28. Just days before, on May 19, everyone and their animals were told to leave. Swiss scientists have been worried about melting glaciers for years. They say climate change is making glaciers melt faster in Switzerland. Switzerland has more glaciers than any other country in Europe. In 2023 alone, Swiss glaciers lost 4% of their ice. That was almost as much as the year before, when they lost 6%.
Missing People and Sad Scenes
No one is thought to have died in the collapse, but a 64-year-old man is missing. The police are using a drone with a special camera to look for him. Pictures taken before the disaster showed green grass, blue skies, and lovely houses. Now, all you can see is brown mud and broken buildings. Only a few homes are still standing.
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The river Lonza is now blocked by glacier debris. In a sad speech, Matthias Bellwald, the mayor of Blatten, said: “We have lost our village, but not our heart. We will support each other and console each other. After a long night, it will be morning again.”
Scientists believe climate change made the rocks under the glacier weaker. This helped cause the collapse. Matthias Huss, who leads glacier research in Switzerland, explained: “Unexpected things happen at places that we have not seen for hundreds of years, most probably due to climate change.”
Many glaciers in Switzerland are melting fast. One famous glacier, the Aletsch, is also shrinking. Because ice is melting, people are finding things hidden for years. Last year, the wreck of a plane crash from 1968 was found after the ice melted near the Jungfrau and Mönch mountains.
The World’s Oceans Are Getting Darker
Less Light Underwater
Scientists say the world’s oceans are now darker than before. This could change life for many sea animals. A new study found that more than one-fifth of the world’s oceans got darker in the last 20 years. This is called “ocean darkening.” It happens when sunlight cannot go as deep into the water. Most sea animals live in the top part of the ocean, where the sunlight helps them grow and survive.
The University of Plymouth studied this using NASA satellites. They found that 21% of the world’s seas are darker than before. Some reasons for this are warmer ocean water, more fake lights, and changes in how tiny plants grow. More than 9% of the ocean, about the size of Africa, lost a lot of light—over 50 meters deep. Another 2.6% lost even more light, over 100 meters deep.
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Why This Matters for Sea Life
This is bad news for animals in the ocean and for people, too. Scientists are not sure yet why the oceans are getting darker, but they know it is a problem. It can change the air we breathe, the fish we eat, and how we fight climate change.
Dr. Thomas Davies, a marine expert, said: “There has been research showing how the surface of the ocean has changed colour over the last 20 years, potentially as a result of changes in plankton communities. But our results provide evidence that such changes cause widespread darkening that reduces the amount of ocean available for animals that rely on the sun and the moon for their survival and reproduction.” He added: “Our findings represent genuine cause for concern.”
Some sea animals need light to live. Professor Tim Smyth from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory said that as the ocean gets darker, sea life may need to come closer to the surface. This could make it harder for them to find food and space. He said: “That could bring about fundamental changes in the entire marine ecosystem.”
The Doomsday Glacier and Rising Seas
A Glacier with a Big Name
There is a giant glacier in Antarctica called Thwaites Glacier. People call it the “Doomsday Glacier” because if it melts, it could make sea levels rise all over the world. Right now, sea levels are about 125 meters higher than 20,000 years ago. This is mostly because of global warming. The Doomsday Glacier has enough ice to raise sea levels by 3.3 meters if it melts.
In the last 100 years, the Earth has gotten about 1°C warmer. Even though this sounds small, it is causing big problems. Scientists went to the Thwaites Glacier to see how fast it is melting. They found deep cracks in the ice. They sent a robot called “Icefin” down under the glacier to take pictures and check the water’s temperature and salt levels.
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The results were shared in February 2023. The news was not good. The glacier is still melting and moving backwards quickly. Peter Davis, the lead researcher, told CNN: “The glacier is still in trouble. What we have found is that despite small amounts of melting there is still rapid glacier retreat, so it seems that it doesn’t take a lot to push the glacier out of balance.”
What the Future May Hold
Christine Dow, a glacier expert from the University of Waterloo, said: “We really, really need to understand how fast the ice is changing, how fast it is going to change over the next 20 to 50 years. We were hoping it would take a hundred, 500 years to lose that ice. A big concern right now is if it happens much faster than that.”
If the Doomsday Glacier melts faster than scientists expect, it could cause flooding around the world. It is important for scientists to keep watching these changes.
A Hidden Tunnel for Nuclear Waste
Finland’s 100,000-Year Plan
In Finland, there is a special tunnel deep underground. No human will be allowed in this tunnel for 100,000 years. This is longer than humans have ever kept anything safe! This tunnel is called Onkalo, and it is being built to store dangerous nuclear waste safely.
To help you understand how long that is, 100,000 years ago, woolly mammoths walked the Earth. People were just starting to move around the planet. The future is hard to imagine, but the tunnel will stay closed for many generations.
Finland is doing this to keep nuclear waste away from people and nature. Experts from around the world say Finland is a good example of how to store nuclear waste safely.
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A Look Inside the Tunnel
Erika Benke, a reporter, visited the Onkalo tunnel before it closes. She said: “A tour at Onkalo, which lies 450m (1,480ft) below the ground, to see tunnels hewn in the living rock to store highly radioactive waste for 100,000 years, suddenly makes me nervous.” She described the trip down into the tunnel. It took 15 minutes to drive down to the service area, 437 meters below the ground.
The tunnel is narrow and dark. When the waste arrives, it will be placed in strong canisters. These will be put into deep holes in the rock by robots. Once the tunnel is closed in 2025, no person will be allowed inside for 100,000 years. The nuclear waste will rest there, far away from people and animals.
Oil Tanker Crash Causes Big Worries
Danger for the Ocean and Birds
A big crash happened in the North Sea, close to England. An oil tanker and a cargo ship hit each other and caught fire. This created a huge fireball and a risk for the ocean and the animals living there. The crash happened near the Humber Estuary. The US-flagged Stena Immaculate hit the MV Solong from Portugal. The oil tanker was carrying jet fuel, which caught fire and spilled into the water.
Thirty-seven people were saved after the crash. But there is worry about what will happen to nature. Oil spills are very bad for birds, fish, and sea plants. When oil spills, it is almost impossible to clean it all up. Birds can get covered in oil, and fish and other sea animals can get sick or die.
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Trying to Save Wildlife
Dave O’Hara, who looks after a large bird colony near the crash, said: “We are extremely concerned about the potential for a leak from the tanker as oil pollution can seriously damage habitats and be lethal to seabirds.”
Wildlife helpers set up a special phone line to help animals affected by the spill. A BBC science reporter said that past oil spills have caused big problems in the UK. For example, in 1967, a ship spilled over 100,000 tonnes of oil in the English Channel. Thousands of birds died.
Even with cleanup, not all the oil can be removed. The weather and sea conditions affect how much damage the spill can cause. Some oils, like diesel, are very dangerous and can kill animals that touch them. Both the fire and the black smoke from the crash are also bad for the environment.
What Happens Next
Greenpeace UK said it is too soon to know all the damage, but they are very worried. A spokesperson said: “Sea and weather conditions will also be important in determining how any spill behaves.” Quick action is needed to stop more harm.
The UK Coastguard is checking what to do next. They are planning how to fight the pollution. Baroness Hayman, the Environment Minister, said: “We are speaking very closely in DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) to the Department for Transport and Maritime and Coastguard Agency, who are leading the Government response on this and who are at the moment assessing the situation.”
What We Can Learn
All these stories show that nature is powerful, but it can be hurt by what people do. Glaciers are melting, the oceans are getting darker, and oil spills can damage life for years. Scientists and experts are working hard to learn more and to help protect the planet.
It is important for everyone to care for Earth. Even small things, like saving energy or not wasting water, can help. Learning about nature and telling others what you know is a good step. If we all work together, we can help keep our world safe for people and animals for many years to come.
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