The Triglav Glacier in the Years 1974—1985

Abstract

During the years 1974—1985, the rapid recession of the Triglav glacier in the Julian Alps — which has been especially systematically controlled since 1946, when the regular observations and measurements were begun — has been largely stopped. During the first years of observations (1946—1954) its average yearly recession was 26.03 m, during the subsequent period (1955—1962) its yearly recession was 15.13 m, and after that (from 1963 to 1973) 9.70 m : in the years 1974—1985, however, its lower end remained all the time covered by snow, and because of this, its surface receded merely locally and only to some extent. For an interpretation of these conditions the quantity of snow precipitations seems to be especially decisive. The data gathered by the hydrometeorological station on the Kredarica mountain ridge (which began to work in 1954) show that the average thickness of the snow cover towards the end of the thawing seasons 1955—1960 was merely 297.50 cm, during the following period (1963—1973) it was 350 cm while during the last period (1974—1985), during which the snow was more and more constantly preserved on the glacier during the whole summer, the average snow cover reached even 462.17 cm.