“In a hundred years, 80% of the Alpine glaciers will have disappeared,” points out Sylvain Coutterand, glaciologist and geomorphologist.
Six people died following the collapse of part of the Marmolada glacier in Italy on July 3, 2022. An accident which is directly linked to global warming: "It's a drama that had, it's of course, an unpredictable dimension, but it is also certain that it is linked to the degradation of the environment and the climatic situation,” declared Mario Draghi, the Italian Prime Minister, on Monday.
The disaster occurred the day after a record temperature of 10°C at the top of the glacier.
This glacier was however monitored by scientists.
“They had noted the formation of crevasses on this glacier which could presage a potential rupture and therefore an avalanche”, assures Sylvain Coutterand.
"The high mountains are a risk zone", recalls the specialist.
Some areas on glaciers have been closed to mountaineering in summer because there is no more snow, "it's just a pile of stones", regrets the glaciologist.
Watch his video interview.
