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France drains glacier to protect village from flood
AFP on Yahoo ^ | 8/25/10 | Estelle Emonet

Posted on 08/25/2010 4:03:28 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

SAINT-GERVAIS-LES-BAINS, France (AFP) – French authorities set about draining a lake trapped beneath a glacier in the Mont Blanc Alpine range on Wednesday to protect thousands of people in the valley below from a flood.

Workers toiled at an altitude of 3,200 metres (10,500 feet), pouring hot water on the ice to make a hole through which they will push a pump and start tapping off the water that has accumulated below one of the glaciers.

Some 65,000 cubic metres (2.3 million cubic feet) of water have gathered in a cavity which is under immense pressure from the ice above.

They estimated that if the water burst out it could flood the nearby valley of Saint-Gervais in half an hour and "nearly 900 families could be affected," Saint-Gervais-les-Bains mayor Jean-Marc Peillex told AFP.

"Some people moved away after we announced the operation, perhaps because they don't trust the alert system. Others aren't too concerned," he said.

The area is also a popular spot for skiers and summer holidaymakers.

The pump, which can pass 50 cubic metres of water an hour, aims "to let out an initial jet of water... to avoid the pressure-cooker effect," Peillex said.

"These first cubic metres of water are the most important," said the head of the operation, Nicolas Karr of the mountain conservation service. "They will allow us to secure the site by lowering the pressure."

The pump is targeting the main cavity containing 25,000 cubic metres and could also drain other surrounding pockets -- but draining away the contents entirely will take weeks, the team said.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: drains; france; glacier

1 posted on 08/25/2010 4:03:29 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
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Technicians prepare to drain a vast underground lake beneath on the Tete Rousse glacier in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains on the Mont Blanc Alpine mountain to avert a potentially disatrous flood. (AFP/Jean-Pierre Clatot)


2 posted on 08/25/2010 4:04:18 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed .. Monthly Donor Onboard .. Obama: Epic Fail or Bust!!!)
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An eruption from a similar lake under the glacier in 1892 caused a torrential flood of water, rocks and earth which engulfed the valley and killed 175 people, almost wiping out the village of Bionnay.


3 posted on 08/25/2010 4:05:36 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed .. Monthly Donor Onboard .. Obama: Epic Fail or Bust!!!)
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To: NormsRevenge
Workers toiled at an altitude of 3,200 metres (10,500 feet), pouring hot water on the ice

What, they couln't wait for global warming to take care of it?

4 posted on 08/25/2010 4:05:49 PM PDT by Michael.SF. (Even Hitler had Government run health care, but at least he got the Olympics for Germany)
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To: NormsRevenge

Some 65,000 cubic metres, 50 cubic metres of water / hr -> 1300 hours -> 72+ days... okay, it’s doable.


5 posted on 08/25/2010 4:08:06 PM PDT by sionnsar (IranAzadi|5yst3m 0wn3d-it's N0t Y0ur5:SONY|TV--it's NOT news you can trust)
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To: sionnsar

And not one gallon was used for a shower.


6 posted on 08/25/2010 4:11:33 PM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: driftdiver

I have spent a great amount of time in France and they are very clean. Your silly warped attitude about them is obviously seated in ignorance.


7 posted on 08/25/2010 4:27:22 PM PDT by shankbear (Al-Qaeda grew while Monica blew)
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To: driftdiver

They could make some fair coin bottling and selling “glacier water”.


8 posted on 08/25/2010 4:29:58 PM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: shankbear

“I have spent a great amount of time in France and they are very clean. Your silly warped attitude about them is obviously seated in ignorance.”

Sure Europeans in general are known for their frequent bathing practices.

There is a reason France is so well known for perfumes.


9 posted on 08/25/2010 4:33:16 PM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: NormsRevenge
pouring hot water on the ice

Finally, real man made global warming!

10 posted on 08/25/2010 4:33:28 PM PDT by SouthTexas
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To: ArrogantBustard

Thats a decent idea, of course capitalism is bad in Europe. The regulations to have that many employees would be a nightmare.


11 posted on 08/25/2010 4:34:15 PM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: NormsRevenge
The pump, which can pass 50 cubic metres of water an hour,

That's 3.7 gallons per second. It's a little faster than one you'd pick up at Home Depot, but not exactly breath taking speed.

12 posted on 08/25/2010 4:46:43 PM PDT by KarlInOhio (Gun control was originally to protect Klansmen from their victims. The basic reason hasn't changed.)
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