The disaster on the Marmolada is a wake-up call not only for the state of health of the Alpine glaciers, but for the tourism that has made some of them irresistible destinations. Yet, from now on, it will be necessary to deal with the fact that these ice giants are weakening, becoming more and more unstable and fragile. “All the glaciers are in a phase of retreat and this is especially the case for those located at the lowest altitudes, below 3,500 meters, more sensitive to the rise in temperature”, said glaciologist Massimo Frezzotti, from ANSA. Roma Tre University.
Unfortunately, there are many glaciers below this threshold and many of them are a frequent destination for excursions. The Marmolada glacier, at an altitude of 3,343 meters, fully falls into this category. Still on the eastern side of the Alps, one of the most popular tourist destinations is the Adamello glacier, in Val Camonica; it is the largest in the Italian Alps and is located at an altitude between 3,530 and 2,550 meters.
Also in Trentino, one of the peaks of the Pale di San Martino hosts the Fradusta glacier, at an altitude of 2,939 meters, which has been under special surveillance for years for its progressive retreat. The Careser glacier is also found in the Ortles group at an altitude at risk (3,067) meters, and near the Passo del Tonale there is the Presena glacier (at an altitude between 2,700 and 3,000 meters).
Moving to Lombardy, one of the most fragile and most popular glaciers is that of Forni, in Valtellina (about 3,000 meters). Going eastwards, in Piedmont, Monte Rosa hosts the Belvedere glacier, which rises at an altitude of 4,400 to descend to 1,800 meters, and which about 20 years ago began to periodically give rise to a small lake. For glaciologists the Belvedere is one of the most eloquent examples of how geological and hydrological changes in some glaciers are accelerating. The Bors and Vigne glaciers also show signs of instability. Some of the numerous and famous glaciers of Valle d’Aosta are also fragile, starting with the most popular with tourists, that of Mont Blanc, which at an altitude of 2,400 meters flows into the Miage glacier. Also on the Mont Blanc massif, the Brenva glacier is located at just 1,700 meters above sea level and that of Brouillard, which drops to 2,000 meters, is known for its crevasses. The Freney glacier, which has its lowest point at 2,335 meters, is also famous among hikers. In the Gran Paradiso massif, in the Val di Cogne, the Coupé de Money glacier (3,440 meters) descends at the foot of the Paganini ridge.
“Not only the glaciers, but the whole high mountains are feeling the effects of the climate change”, observed Frezzotti.
In particular, what gives general instability is the way in which the perennially frozen soil, the permafrost, is affected by the higher temperatures. In particular, studies conducted on Monte Rosa and Mont Blanc indicate that in the last 30 years the temperature of their glaciers has increased, putting their stability at risk. These are realities that mountain enthusiasts need to know; it is a question of refining their knowledge of this increasingly less stable environment to understand if and when it is appropriate to tackle a glacier, even if it is one of the simpler excursions.
Source: Ansa
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