Aerial Images Show Bossons Glacier Smaller Than in 1980s

New aerial images show extensive ice loss on the Bossons Glacier, which descends from the Mont Blanc massif above Chamonix, France. Meltwater streams flow from the ice, and a large hole that first appeared in the glacier's lower tongue in 2025 remains visible, Euronews reported on 23 June 2026. The Bossons Glacier has long been one of the most recognisable glaciers in the French Alps.

In the 1980s its ice extended to the valley floor, but decades of rising temperatures have produced a dramatic reduction in its size. A second heatwave of 2026 is affecting parts of Europe. The latest heatwave has increased glacier melting rates, exposed more rock, and reduced snow cover that would normally help protect the ice, Euronews reported.

Scientists say glaciers across the Alps are shrinking at an accelerating pace as climate change drives hotter summers and shorter winters.