Zmutt Glacier, Valley glacier in Valais, Switzerland
The Zmutt Glacier is a valley glacier in the Valais Alps below the Stockji (3,092 m), formed where three arms join: the Tiefmatten Glacier from the Matterhorn and Dent d'Hérens, the Schönbiel Glacier from the Dent Blanche, and the Stockjigletscher from the Tête de Valpelline. It flows east between the Matterhorn and the Ober Gabelhorn, its tongue at about 2,250 m under side and medial moraines.
Since its maximum extent in the Little Ice Age around the mid-19th century, the Zmutt Glacier retreated about 2 km by 2017. A 2019 study found its area shrank from 21.24 km² to about 15.74 km² in 2013. Increased debris cover temporarily slowed length and area losses, but mass loss has accelerated since the early 2000s.
Scientists and researchers regularly study this glacier to understand the effects of climate change on alpine environments and water resources in Switzerland.
Visitors can reach this glacier best during warmer months when mountain paths are passable and views are clear. The terrain is challenging, so hikers should have mountaineering experience and proper equipment.
The Stockji, a peak at 3,092 m, is a nunatak: ice of the Tiefmatten, Schönbiel and Stockji arms surrounds it completely. The Schönbiel Hut of the Swiss Alpine Club stands at 2,694 m above the confluence of the Tiefmatten and Schönbiel glaciers, a base for glacier tours.
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