EXPLORING THE MER DE GLACE OF CHAMONIX The Mer de Glace in Chamonix in the French Alps is a valley glacier, originating at an elevation of 2,100 metres in the Mont Blanc massif. It is the second-longest glacier in the Alps and the largest and longest glacier located in France.
Exploring the Mer de Glace of Chamonix HISTORY In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Mer de Glace descended as far down as the Les Bois hamlet, and so at this time was often known as the Glacier des Bois. Under a vault like a grotto, the river Arveyron used to emerge from this glacier. The glacier reached its peak extent in the middle of the 19th century, although it has fluctuated in size and front-end position over the decades.
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Thibaut De Roux
CONTINUOUS FLOW The Mer de Glace has a continuous flow caused by the effect of its own weight which, depending on the type of underlying terrain, causes pockets of water and crevasses to form. The speed at which it moves is relatively considerable in glacier terms, although the movement is not detectable to the naked eye. The surface topography of the glacier on average lowered by 30cm every year between 1939 and 2001.
The Mer de Glace is just one of many attractions located in the Chamonix valley.
Thibaut De Roux
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More information about this region can be found by visiting the blog of Thibaut de Roux.