The Rhone Glacier in the Swiss Alps is one of the oldest know glaciers in the Alps, and an important one ‘cause it gives rise to the Rhone River – a major river of Europe –, and is also one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva. Because of climate change and rising global temperatures, the glacier has retreated dramatically over the last 120 years, shrinking by more than 1300 meters and leaving back a track of naked stone.

Every summer, environmentalists in Switzerland take up the task of covering the Rhone Glacier with miles of white blankets to try and minimize the melting. The innovative method of protecting the ice draws hordes of visitors who come to witness the ancient ice from an entirely unique perspective.

Photo credit: MSN

Researchers have been trying various tricks to protect the glacier. In 2008, a geography professor accompanied by his students installed a 50 feet by 10 feet windscreen which they hoped would trap cold winds that blow down off the mountains and keep them over the Rhone Glacier.