Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

rpannier

(24,304 posts)
Sun Aug 9, 2020, 07:11 AM Aug 2020

Alps glacier collapse fear: Courmayeur evacuated as huge chunk of ice threatens to break away

An Italian resort in the Alps remained on high alert on Friday over fears a massive glacier could collapse due to high temperatures.

The municipality of Courmayeur in the Valley of Aosta ordered dozen of residents and tourists to evacuate from a large exclusion zone on Wednesday because of a high risk of avalanche. Several roads have been closed and pedestrian access is strictly prohibited.

snip

Local officials said in an order decree that a chunk of ice of approximately 500,000 cubic metres is on the verge of breaking away from the Planpincieux Glacier.

The glacier is "the size of Milan cathedral or a football pitch covered in ice 80 metres (260 feet) thick" according to an official. It could break free of its perch about 2,600 to 2,800 metres above sea level.

https://www.euronews.com/2020/08/06/alps-glacier-collapse-fear-courmayeur-evacuated-as-huge-chunk-of-ice-threatens-to-break-aw

3 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Alps glacier collapse fear: Courmayeur evacuated as huge chunk of ice threatens to break away (Original Post) rpannier Aug 2020 OP
Not surprising, unfortunately DFW Aug 2020 #1
Reminds me of a short story I read in high school. no_hypocrisy Aug 2020 #2
For those who know the area, it's not Courmayeur itself that has been evacuated muriel_volestrangler Aug 2020 #3

DFW

(54,047 posts)
1. Not surprising, unfortunately
Sun Aug 9, 2020, 07:53 AM
Aug 2020

My wife left back for Germany a week ago from Boston, and she said that yesterday they had temperatures of 37° (about 100°F). We're in the lower Rheinland (Düsseldorf area), and the Alps are a couple of hundred miles to the south of us.

no_hypocrisy

(45,770 posts)
2. Reminds me of a short story I read in high school.
Sun Aug 9, 2020, 07:54 AM
Aug 2020

The theme was irony.

A similar small town was threatened by an avalanche and the inhabitants of a small cottage believed they were in its path. They abandoned their home and ran away, only to be swept up in the path of the avalanche which didn't take the expected route.

muriel_volestrangler

(101,146 posts)
3. For those who know the area, it's not Courmayeur itself that has been evacuated
Sun Aug 9, 2020, 07:56 AM
Aug 2020

just a sparsely populated valley that the Courmayeur municipality is in charge of - Val Ferret.

https://www.ansa.it/english/news/general_news/2020/08/06/val-ferret-evacuated-due-to-alarm-about-glacier_cc6e2ba6-7088-488c-93a5-a70e376798e0.html
https://www.24matins.uk/topnews/int/slight-improvement-in-melting-glacier-threatening-italy-resort-237348

It's the valley under the Grandes Jorasses, Aigulle de Rochefort and Dent du Geant:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/11013+Lavachey+Aosta+Valley,+Italy/

They evacuated under 100; Cormayeur has a population of about 3,000, plus more tourists (how many this year, who knows?)

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Alps glacier collapse fea...