On the Trail of the Glaciers
Exploring the past for a sustainable future
“On the Trail of the Glaciers” is a photographic-scientific project that combines photographic comparison and scientific research in order to disseminate the effects of climate change thanks to the observation of the variations of glacial masses over the last 150 years.
With 8 expeditions over 13 years destined for the most important mountain glaciers on Earth (Karakorum 2009, Caucasus 2011, Alaska 2013, Andes 2016, Himalaya 2018, Alps 2019 – 2020 – 2021), the project has supported original studies and has created new photographic shots from the same observation point, and in the same period of the year, as those taken by photographer-explorers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The project represents the largest existing archive of comparative photography on the variations of glacial masses; it was conceived and created by photographer Fabiano Ventura in collaboration with a technical-creative staff and is supported by an international Scientific Committee.
The strong communicative power of photographic comparisons, combined with the results of scientific research, represents a contribution to the development of greater awareness of the impact of human activities on the climate. The dissemination of the project’s contents aims to raise public awareness of the need to safeguard natural resources for the protection of future generations.
Our vision
We work to spread greater ecological awareness.
We use photographic comparison as a tool that combines the communicative power of images with the rigor of historical and scientific research. The images bear witness to the retreat of the largest mountain glaciers on Earth and, combined with the scientific data collected, provide an immediate idea of the extraordinary climate changes that our planet is experiencing, confirming how urgent all the actions necessary for its protection are.
Fabiano Ventura,
Project Director
The numbers of the project
The expeditions
Obiettivi e risultati
Scientific objectives
Climatic and environmental variations are leading to the rapid collapse of glacial masses with effects that are not yet fully predictable.
Thus, by combining the documentary and scientific aspects, the project has made it possible to obtain unique information on recent glacial dynamics and the health of glaciers in some sample areas such as the Karakoram, Caucasus, Alaska, Andes, Himalayas, and Alps.
Communicative objectives
By combining scientific research, comparative photography and popularization in an original and innovative way, the project is communicating to a wide audience:
- The role of scientific research in developing knowledge and awareness of environmental issues
- The recovery and enhancement of historical cultural heritage such as photographic archives.
- The importance of sustainable development and the preservation of natural resources, particularly water
- The importance of biodiversity
Results in numbers
- 8 field expeditions
- 314 photographic comparisons
- 16 research programs
- 21 universities and research institutes involved
- 87 glaciers analyzed
- 3 television documentaries distributed worldwide
- 16 traveling multimedia exhibition displays
- 11 interactive video installations
- 120 lectures, conferences and public screenings
- 797 articles on the web
- 138 articles in periodicals
- 68 radio and television reports
- 162 events around the world
- 262,000,000 people reached worldwide
Partners
During the ten years of the project, numerous institutions and companies have contributed to supporting it, enriching its content and promoting it.