A section of an Alps mountain’s peak has crumbled, most likely due to permafrost thawing caused by climate change.
Millions of cubic feet of stone fall down a steep mountain terrain earlier this month as one of the peaks of the Fluchthorn, a mountain in the Silvretta Alps, disintegrates.
The incident has shortened the peak of the Fluchthorn by a stunning 330 feet, with debris piling into the adjacent valley. That means the mountain is now officially 60 feet shorter, since its middle peak is now its highest point at 11,145 feet.
Unsurprisingly, experts believe that global warming played a significant role in the incident, with rising temperatures causing frozen ground to become unstable over time — a sign that mountainous landscapes are being permanently reshaped as a result of how civilization is altering the planet’s climate.
Climate change is generating severe increases in air temperatures in the Alps, forcing glaciers to melt and permafrost to thaw.
Because most mountain summits above 8,000 feet are buried in permafrost, they remain clustered together. However, after this material melts, these peaks may fall. And we should expect more Alps mountain tops to succumb to the rising temperatures.
Reference- LIVE Science Report, Reuters, Youtube, Twitter