Glaciers on Mount Mont Blanc are at risk of collapse

The giant glacier on the highest mountain in Western Europe is about to lose hundreds of cubic meters of ice, forcing authorities to blockade roads and evacuate tents.

A part of the Planpincieux glacier containing 250,000 cubic meters of ice can fall into the mountains, according to Stefano Miserocchi, the mayor of the nearby town of Courmayeur. Experts have discovered that the ice travels much faster than normal and concludes that glaciers are threatening the Ferret Valley. Mayor Miserocchi directed the blockade of the two roads and evacuated the tents on a high mountain of 4,810m.

Planpincieux Glacier on Italian side.(Photo: Reuters)

From late August to early September, the lower half of the glacier slides at a speed of 50 - 60cm / day. The glacier on the southeast cliff of Mont Blanc has an area of ​​more than 1 km ² and has been closely monitored since 2013. Previously, during the summer months, glaciers rarely moved more than 30cm / day.

"This phenomenon shows that the mountain is going through a period of great volatility due to climate factors, so it is particularly vulnerable," the mayor of Miserocchi said. He also emphasized that there is no direct threat to the residential area at the moment.

Experts said they had no way of knowing exactly when the glacier would collapse and no warning systems were installed. They also expressed concern that warmer temperatures across the Alps are increasing the risk of melting permafrost, causing the glacier to disappear.

In its report earlier this week, the World Meteorological Organization warned that if the average temperature continues to rise at today's levels, ice in the eastern and central Alps could disappear completely within 2 - 3 decades. All year long glaciers will remain only in the western part of the Alps, the highest part of the mountain range.

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