A scientific publication describing climate change in the (Swiss) Alpine region during the past 10,000 years
The retreat of glaciers in Switzerland (as well as other areas of the Alps) has now uncovered an increasing number of timber and peat sections that would have been overtaken in the past by earlier phases of glacier advancement. These findings lead to the conclusion that warm phases also occurred in the past, and that some of the glaciers must have been much shorter than they are today.
Evidence has been produced for the existence of 10-12 “windows of warmth” during the past 10,000 years, lasting for a total duration of about 5,500 years.
Some of the timber findings are actually parts of a tree, including a trunk with 600 annual rings. At least in this particular case, therefore, the tree is unlikely to have been standing at the edge of the forest (i.e. in the “battle zone”), but must originally have come from at least about 100 metres below – growing far away from the glacier’s “snout”.
This research, which was confirmed by corresponding research from Austria (Innsbruck) was intended to be accompanied by the production of a scientific publication.
In 2006, the SFAR granted support for work to be carried out on this publication in the years 2007-2009.
See also: Alpen ohne Gletscher (Alps without Glaciers) – ‘Die Alpen’ June 2004:
Waren die prähistorischen Alpen gletscherfrei? Holz- und Torffunde als Klimaindikatoren; Christian Schlüchter & Ueli Jörin; Die Alpen 6-2004.pdf
and
Grüne Alpen statt Ewiges Eis (Green Alps in place of Eternal Ice) – ETHlife February 2005
http://archiv.ethlife.ethz.ch/articles/tages/gruenealpen.html