Scientists Discover 65,000 M3 "Pocket" Of Meltwater Within Mont Blanc Glacier - Could Go Any Time

[hatrack]

France (Reuters) - A pocket of water big enough to fill 20 Olympic pools, trapped inside a glacier on Mont Blanc, could burst at any time and endanger lives in a French Alpine valley, officials said Thursday.

Researchers at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) said 65,000 cubic meters of water discovered inside the Tte-Rousse glacier could explode and destroy everything in its path, including nearby villages and nearly 900 homes. Such a catastrophe happened in the area in 1892, killing around 200 people.

Researchers made the discovery when carrying out a routine check on the glacier. "We did not expect at all to find this pocket of water," said Christian Vincent, a CNRS geophysics engineer.

"This occurrence is very rare. Water in glaciers usually drains naturally, trickling away. In this case, the glacier has imprisoned very cold water and risks exploding under pressure. It now looks like a pressure cooker," Vincent said.

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[itsrobert]

1. So they can't tap it and drain it slowly

?

[hatrack]

2. That's what they're working on now - trying to get a drill rig set up to do just that . . .

Fingers crossed . . .

[DCBob]

3. That is a spectacular scenic area in the French Alps. I went hiking there a few years ago..

All of the glaciers there show severe melting/receding. The Bossons glacier is particulary noticeable since it can be easily seen from the village of Chamonix. It used to be a massive glacier stretching all the way into the valley but now its receded more than half way up the moutain. Here are a couple of photos..