in the Italian Alps, glaciers under close surveillance

Perched at 3,000 meters above sea level, the Planpincieux glacier (Italy) is an unstable and fragile giant. The glacier is under close surveillance. Thermal cameras and radars permanently trained on him allow scientists to monitor his movements in real time. Fabrizio Troilo, glaciologist for the Montagna Sicura Foundation, observes the disturbing advance of the glacier towards the valley: up to 1.50 m per day in summer.

The worst scenario has already been the subject of simulations: a million cubic meters of glacier, which would come to yield and threaten the hamlets located below. “There are evacuations that are taken into account, if such a scenario occurs“, explains Fabrizio Troilo. Residents and vacationers were already evacuated two years ago, in the middle of summer. In 2017, 60,000 cubic meters had been detached, without reaching the villages.