Swiss NGO tests wool blankets to slow glacier melt

Sheep’s wool blankets are being tested on a Swiss glacier as a possible alternative to synthetic covers used to slow ice melt, with early results showing a similar protective effect, Swissinfo reported Wednesday.

The Summit Foundation placed two 100-square-meter wool blankets on Glacier 3000 in Les Diablerets, in western Switzerland, in late June.

The trial, carried out with the University of Lausanne and supervised by the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (Glamos), is examining whether wool can protect ice as effectively as conventional synthetic tarpaulins.

Initial observations showed a similar effect, according to the foundation.

Synthetic covers can reduce melting in the areas they cover by 50% to 70%.

The foundation said wool could offer environmental advantages because it is natural, renewable and biodegradable and does not pose the same risk of synthetic particles entering the water cycle.

However, the NGO said such coverings cannot by themselves halt glacier retreat caused by climate change.

Protective textiles currently cover only about 0.02% of the total glacier area, limiting their impact on overall glacier loss.