France:
 Université de Savoie
 CNRS
    

 GLARISKALP ALCOTRA  PROJECT

Main menu

Italy:
 
Fondazione Montagna Sicura ARPA Valle d'Aosta
CNR-IRPI


GLACIER "LYS; GARSTELET"
Risk type: glacier length changes and glacier flood.

Glacier list | Statistics
 

Type:  Valley glacier
Country:  Italy
Region:  Aosta Valley
Massif/Ice Cap:  Monte Rosa
Municipality:  Gressoney-La-Trinité
Municipality code:  
Location:  
 
Latitude (°, cent):  45.92 N
Longitude (°, cent):  7.84 E
Surface (km2):  11.826
Lenght (km):  5.6
Width (km):  
Min. altitude (m):  2350
Max. altitude (m):  4530
Orientation (°)  180
Slope (°)  20

EVENT:  Date  // -  Date quality:9-12/12/1971   

Type:  Glacier flood (contain both lakes and water pocket)
Description  An internal water pocket emptied in 2-3 days, with the discharge of 480.000 m3 of water. The water outburst from the left side of glacier, near Gnifetti alpine hut, probably from two different internal pockets: the upper one in the flat zone of the glacier behind Gnifetti hut (about 3600 m); the lower one around 3200 m of altitude.
Effects:  On December 9th, at 6 PM, the flow of Lys river in Gressoney suddenly increased. The maximum was reached on December 10th (2.27 m3/s in Gressoney-St-Jean). The phenomena ended on December 12nd.
Deaths(#)  0
Injuried (#)  0
Note  Already at the end of 1940's stagnant water pockets were observed at the bottom of some crevasses near Gnifetti hut.

DAMAGES    

Type:  None Description:

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Aliverti G., 1960 - A proposito delle onde sui ghiacciai. Aspetti osservati sulla lingua e alla fronte del ghiacciaio del Lys (Monte Rosa). Ann. Ist. Univ. Navale, Napoli, 29, p. 115-120.
Aliverti G., 1970 - Si producono i surges nei ghiacciai delle Alpi italiane? Ann. Ist. Univ. Navale, Napoli, 39, p. 241-249.
Aliverti G., Colombin P. & De Maio A., 1973 - Sopra un "surge " di acqua accaduto sul ghiacciaio del Lys (Monte Rosa). Bolle. Comitato Glac. It. Serie II, n. 21, p. 7-18.
Favre B., 1972 - Attualità (rubrica) Boll. Parrocchiale di Gressoney-St-Jean e Gressoney-La-Trinité. Febbraio 1972. Ed. La Buona Novella.

EVENT:  Date  // -  Date quality:Middle Age   

Type:  Glacier length changes
Description  The glacier advance probably destroyed buildings.
Effects:  Destruction of a village (?)
Deaths(#)  0
Injuried (#)  0
Note  

DAMAGES    

Type:  Buildings Description: Destruction of a village (?)

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Monterin U., 1915 - La leggenda della "Città di Felik" in rapporto alle oscillazioni glaciali ed alla colonizzazione tedesca sul versante meridionale del Mote Rosa. Boll. Club Alpino It. - section of Firenze. N. 4, p. 91-112