France’s tallest mountain was nearly two metres higher last month than its last reported measurement in 2023, surveyors said Wednesday, putting the Alpine peak at 4,807.47 metres (15,772.5 feet).
Mont Blanc’s “summit is constantly shifting”, said Jean des Garets, chief geometer in the Haute-Savoie department of southeastern France, after announcing the 1.88-metre increase.
“Each individual measurement is not significant in itself,” in the context of global warming, but it “provides data that will be analysed over time”, he added.
Researchers have been measuring the mountain every two years to three years since 2001, hoping to garner information about the impact of climate change on the Alps.
The mountain’s rocky peak measures around 4,792 metres above sea level, but its thick covering of ice and snow varies in height from year to year depending on wind and weather.
In 2023, Mont Blanc had shrunk by over two metres compared to two years earlier.
The latest measurement is close to those recorded at the end of the 19th century, according to surveyors.
Mont Blanc’s summit has “not been significantly altered by climate change” for the time being, said glaciologist Luc Moreau at the press conference.
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