Mont Blanc, Western Europe's towering emblem, has reached its lowest recorded height in 22 years, with a loss of more than two meters (6.5 feet) over the past two years. This decline is attributed to the impact of increasingly warm summers that have diminished the snowpack, as per a team of topographers who conduct measurements every two years.
During a news conference in Chamonix, located in the French Alps, the researchers revealed that Mont Blanc now stands at 4,805.59 meters (15,766 feet) above sea level. This is 2.22 meters lower than the measurement taken in September 2021, which was recorded at 4,807.81 meters (15,773 feet).
Cecile Taffin, a member of the UNGE surveyors union, explained that the summit of Mont Blanc is a dynamic entity that experiences natural height variations. She emphasized that fluctuations of more than two meters have been observed in the past, but this year's notably low level is likely a result of insufficient rainfall and an exceptionally hot summer.
“The top of Mont Blanc is like a dune, it moves, and it is not the first time we have measured height variations of more than two meters," Cecile Taffin explained.
Precise GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellite measurements of Mont Blanc's height began in September 2001 when it stood at 4,010.40 meters. From 2001 to 2013, Mont Blanc's elevation ranged between 4,808 and 4,810 meters, reaching a record high of 4,810.90 meters (15,783.79 feet) in 2007. However, since 2013, the mountain has been on a consistent downward trend.
Mont Blanc's true elevation depends on its snowpack, which typically grows over the summer as rain at its peak transforms into snow. This year, for the first time since 2015, when scientists began taking measurements in June, the snowpack in September remained virtually unchanged from June.
"Normally, Mont Blanc gains one meter from June to September, but that did not happen this summer due to several days of positive temperatures, including a record high of 10 degrees Celsius," Farouk Kadded of Leica Geosystems noted.
The topographers stressed that interpreting this data was not within their purview, and climate change specialists would be better suited to provide theories explaining this phenomenon.
Before the introduction of GNSS measurements with centimeter precision, scientists relied on GPS, trigonometric estimates, and barometric measurements, which could be off by several meters. Despite fluctuations, Kadded expressed skepticism about the likelihood of Mont Blanc regaining elevation in the next two years, citing an overall downward trend.
The diminishing height of Mont Blanc serves as a stark reminder of the impact of climate change on our planet's natural landmarks, and it underscores the importance of continued research and action to address this pressing issue.
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