Satellite radars reveal early signs of slope instability years before Blatten rock/ice avalanche
On 28 May 2025, a massive rock/ice avalanche detached from the Birch Glacier above the village of Blatten in the Lötschental valley (Valais, Switzerland). About 10 million cubic metres of rock and ice broke free, surged downslope and reached the valley floor, destroying the village and temporarily blocked the Lonza River. The sequence of events …