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)
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 ...
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)
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.
What, they couln't wait for global warming to take care of it?
Some 65,000 cubic metres, 50 cubic metres of water / hr -> 1300 hours -> 72+ days... okay, it’s doable.
And not one gallon was used for a shower.
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.
They could make some fair coin bottling and selling “glacier water”.
“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.
Finally, real man made global warming!
Thats a decent idea, of course capitalism is bad in Europe. The regulations to have that many employees would be a nightmare.
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.
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