Threat of Mont Blanc Glacier Collapse Causes Red Zone Imposition and Evacuation on Valley

The threat of Mont Blanc glacier collapse caused red zone imposition and evacuation on the valley region. Last Friday, an alpine resort in Italy was on high alert as officials feared that a glacier's chunk might be dislodged from Mont Blanc massif's slopes and plummet down the mountain.

The tarmac road that leads to the lush valley below Planpincieux glacier, near Courmayeur town and the border of France and Italy, was blocked by guards and a barrier.

(Photo: Pixabay)
The threat of Mont Blanc glacier collapse caused red zone imposition and evacuation on the valley region. Last Friday, an alpine resort in Italy was on high alert as officials feared that a glacier’s chunk might be dislodged from Mont Blanc massif’s slopes and plummet down the mountain.

The Current Situation

There is a possibility that a large ice block that measures roughly 500,000 m³, comparable to the Milan cathedral, can break free from its perching spot approximately 2,600 to 2,800 meters above the sea level.

Authorities ordered an evacuation last Wednesday night from the "red zone" located at the slope's base. It was enforced for a minimum of 72 hours, moving 75 people composed of about 20 locals and the rest being tourists.

Val Ferret is a valley found in the region of the Aosta Valley. It's usually filled with tourists at this time of the year; however, it is blocked now. It is near a tunnel which traverses the Alps between Italy and France. The "red zone" is four kilometers, at least from the entrance of the tunnel, where tourists still stroll through Courmayeur's streets.

According to Stefano Miserocchi, the mayor of Courmayeur, it was vital and urgent to move the people away from the direct path of the possible icefall. He issued a high alert in the 72-hour duration of the evacuation.

High temperatures are expected in the next three days, as Europe braces for a heatwave.

Over 4,000 glaciers dot the Alps, which are currently under threat due to climate change. Last year, Swiss researchers conducted a study that found that these glaciers can shrink from 65 to 90 percent in this present century. The rate will depend on how emissions of greenhouse gases can be reduced effectively.

READ: Global Warming: Norwegian Arctic Archipelago Breaks Highest Temperature Record 

Dangers of Glacier Collapse

According to Valerio Segor, natural risk management director of Aosta Valley,  the situation is especially delicate because the high temperatures affect the water level situated between the rock and the ice, which affects the glacier's stability. If not enough water escapes, then it will stay beneath the glacier, which can lift the glacier and cause the most fragile part to collapse.

A chasm was observed on Planpincieux's lower part, where two water cascades flowed to the valley, hanging from the side of the mountain. The same danger from a different part of the ice occurred last autumn.

READ ALSO: Melting Permafrost Due to Climate Change Threatens Gas and Oil Network in Russia, Causes Oil Spill

Locals Angry

Courmayeur locals, together with La Palud, a neighboring community, did not like the evacuation and criticized the move. The tourism workers and residents were worried that the alert would affect their livelihoods. A La Palud hotel owner named Rocco even said that it is a joke since the authorities do it each year. He thinks there is no problem at all.

Ludovico Colombati, another hotelier, had the same sentiment. His house is located less than two kilometers from the glacier. He says the risk is very low and says the movement of the glacier and the detaching of its blocks are all normal. He adds that the administrators fear responsibility if something happens.

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