International Mountain Day 2025: Retreating Glaciers of the Hoher Dachstein Massif, Austria
On International Mountain Day, we recognise the significance of mountain ranges and the crucial role that mountain regions play in the water cycle, primarily through the presence of glaciers. Glaciers are vast reserves of ice and snow distributed across the planet. They support ecosystems and communities, yet they are undergoing rapid and concerning changes with potentially far-reaching consequences.
These images, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 1 September 2025 and 30 August 2015, show the decrease in ice extent across the glaciers of the Hoher Dachstein massif in Austria, one of the most emblematic high-mountain areas of the Northern Alps.
Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery plays a crucial role in monitoring and preserving our planet’s mountain regions, even in remote areas such as the poles.
