Triglav glacier, one of Slovenia's last remaining glaciers and a former popular spot for summer skiers, has dwindled to tiny ice fragments that researchers anticipate could vanish within days. Situated on the northeastern side of Mount Triglav, Slovenia's tallest mountain, the glacier was once a symbol of the country's Alpine heritage.
According to sightseeing company Triglav Tours, the glacier covered more than 40 hectares in the late 1800s, shrinking to 14 hectares by 1946. In recent years, it has effectively ceased to function as a glacier, with no new ice forming.
Miha Pavšek of the Anton Melik Geographical Institute at the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts stated, "Everything indicates that the very last remnants of ice will literally disappear within these coming days." Mr Pavšek, who has monitored the glacier for 30 years, noted that below-average snowfall last winter and early melting left the ice exposed to summer heat for an extended period, spurred by climate change.
Mr Pavšek also warned that declining glaciers in neighbouring Austria could eventually lower water flows in the Drava and Mura river basins, which are crucial for irrigation in Slovenia. This could impact areas such as the Drava and Ptuj fields and parts of the Mura region.