Can a Wool Blanket Save Glaciers?

3rd November 2026

A natural wool covering placed over 200 square metres of a glacier in Switzerland has proved effective at slowing summer melting.

Initial results from the “Keep It Wool” trial on the Tsanfleuron Glacier in western Switzerland show that prototype wool blankets protected snow and ice from heat about as well as plastic geotextiles.

Normally conventional synthetic tarpaulins are used and the sheep’s wool offers a biodegradable alternative to plastic sheets.

According to a recent report on the reuters news agency researchers found that the covers significantly slowed ice loss during the warmer summer months.

However, project organisers and glaciologists stress that physical covers can only protect very small areas.

Just about 0.02%t of Switzerland’s total glacier surface is currently covered with protective materials.

This means the method is mainly useful for protecting small ski areas or vulnerable infrastructure, rather than providing a wider solution to global warming.