Mont Blanc is growing!
If climbing Mont Blanc is on your “to do” list then we'd advise you to get up there sooner rather than later as it appears that the highest mountain in France is growing!! At least that is, according to a recent geometric survey conducted in the area.
Traditionally documented with a height of 4807m, detailed GPS measurements taken last month by the “Géomètres experts de Haute-Savoie” reveal that Mont Blanc is now officially 4810.90m. This growth spurt has been attributed to a thickening of the ice-cap that sits permanently on the summit; and it seems that the rate at which the ice has been thickening has increased considerably in recent years. Since 2005, researchers have seen a 2.15m increase in height.
The volume of ice was calculated for the first time in 2003 when 14600 cubic metres were measured above 4800m. Today, the volume has almost doubled to 24100 cubic metres and bizarrely enough, the growth is being directly attributed global warming!
Confused? Well, in Chamonix, local meteorologist, Yan Giezendanner said “Snowfall hasn't increased overall in the Alpes but with the climate change we are seeing more warm westerly winds which bring rain lower down, but in summer this translates to dense snowfall that settles above 4000 meters altitude – hence the volume of the ice-cap is growing”. This is in contrast to the winter where snow crystals are extremely cold and are therefore easily transported by wind they so don't settle on the summit.
Mr Giezendanner went on to say that such "growth" in mountains was specific to higher Alpine peaks. "Glaciers at high altitude seem to be growing, while those situated at mid or low altitude are melting, shrinking and threatened with extinction."
Similar surveys are carried out on Mont Blanc every two years in an attempt to understand more about the evolution of the mountain and the effects our warming planet are having it.
Source: Pistehors.com
