Western Europe's highest peak hits lowest level in 22 years
Mont Blanc, the tallest peak in Western Europe, has reached its lowest height in 22 years, researchers say. Now standing at 15,766 feet, the mountain has lost 7.2 feet since September 2021. Warmer summers are believed to be the cause, as they reduce the snowpack on Mont Blanc. Since 2001, when accurate satellite measurements began, the mountain's height has fluctuated, reaching a record 15,783.79 feet in 2007.
Several days this summer had temperatures above freezing
For the first time since 2015, Mont Blanc's snowpack in September was almost the same as it was in June. Mont Blanc's total height depends on its snowpack, which usually grows during the summer as rain turns into snow at its peak. "Normally, Mont Blanc gains one meter [3.28 feet] from June to September, but that did not happen this summer because several days of positive temperatures, even a record of 10 degrees Celsius," said Farouk Kadded from Leica Geosystems.
Data interpretation left to climate change specialists
The mountain's rocky peak is 15,722 feet tall, but its overall height changes with weather conditions and wind patterns. Mont Blanc's summit dome has been called a "dune complex" because strong winter winds can strip away snow from the top. Topographers who measured Mont Blanc say it's not their job to interpret the data. Instead, climate change experts will develop theories to explain what's happening, they said.
Mont Blanc's rocky peak sees an 'exceptional year'
Dennis Borrel, one of the surveyors, called 2023 a "somewhat exceptional year." "Even if we see that there is a slight downward trend around 15 to 20cm since 2001 of this snowy summit of Mont Blanc, climatologists and glaciologists tell us that it takes approximately 50 years of measurement to be able to draw conclusions on possible global warming at this altitude of 4,800 meters," said Borrel.
Impact of global warming on the Alps
The effects of global warming on the Alps are well known. Glaciers have lost a third of their volume in recent years. Further, permafrost—soil and sediment that remains completely frozen for at least two years—is disappearing above about 7,218 feet. Separately, Antarctic sea ice has reached a record low this winter. It currently covers only 16.96 million square kilometers, the lowest since satellite records began in 1979.
