 Other researchers have found that glaciers across the Alps appear to be retreating at a faster rate than a few decades ago . In a paper published in 2009 by the University of Zurich , the Swiss glacier survey of 89 glaciers found 76 retreating , 5 stationary and 8 advancing from where they had been in 1973 . The Trift Glacier had the greatest recorded retreat , losing 350 m ( 1 @,@ 150 ft ) of its length between the years 2003 and 2005 . The Grosser Aletsch Glacier is the largest glacier in Switzerland and has been studied since the late 19th century . Aletsch Glacier retreated 2 @.@ 8 km ( 1 @.@ 7 mi ) from 1880 to 2009 . This rate of retreat has also increased since 1980 , with 30 % , or 800 m ( 2 @,@ 600 ft ) , of the total retreat occurring in the last 20 % of the time period . 
