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GLACIER "TACONNAZ"
Risk type: ice avalanches

 Glacier list | Statistics
 
Type:  Valley glacier
Country:  France
Region:  Haute Savoie
Massif/Ice Cap:  Mont Blanc
Municipality:  
Municipality code:  
Location:  Glacial display well developed, which descend from the « Aiguille du Goûter » and looks directly on the valley of Chamonix, at the level of "Vers le Nant" village
 
Latitude (°, cent):  45.52
Longitude (°, cent):  6.5
Surface (km2):  1.7
Lenght (km):  3
Width (km):  0.899
Min. altitude (m):  1500
Max. altitude (m):  3200
Orientation (°)  
Slope (°)  30

EVENT:  Date  11/2/1999 -  Date quality:   
Type:  Ice avalanches
Description  A serac fall occured at 3300 m heigth and produce snow and ice avalanche.
Effects:  An huge avalanche (snow and ice) with a volume about 750 000 m3 descend in the small valley of Taconnaz and overflow the defense system.
Deaths(#)  
Injuried (#)  
Note  

DAMAGES    

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Rapin F., 2001 - Expertise :"Avalanche de Taconnaz du 11/02/1999".

EVENT:  Date  17/2/1990 -  Date quality:   
Type:  Ice avalanches
Description  an huge avalanche with an exceptional volume (1 million m3 ) descend in the small valley of Taconnaz, and do not cross the defence system only about few dozens meters
Effects:  no damage
Deaths(#)  0
Injuried (#)  0
Note  the global quality of the information concerning the last events is good , the sources are reliable, we can find it the details. We need to remember that the volume of materials are simply estimations The serac falls is the common denominator for some of these avalanches . Actually, in several cases, some ice blocks have been found in variable proportions, which can be 3/4, in descended mass. The possible occurrence of these events is important, because it exists two areas where the start ice fall can occurred: on the one hand under the "Dôme du Goûter" at 3.200 m height, on the other hand at the left bank of the glacier, at 3.000 m height

DAMAGES    

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Bouvet, P., et Cassayre, Y., 1998 - Le dispositif paravalanche de Taconnaz (Chamonix, Les Houches) Rapport du service R.T.M. d’Annecy, 5p.

EVENT:  Date  20/3/1988 -  Date quality:   
Type:  
Description  an important avalanche of snow and ice, which volume has been estimated of 400.000 m3, crossed the paravalanches again and spread in the hamlet of “ Vers le Nant ”
Effects:  3 houses destroyed, cut of several electrics lines , but fortunately there was no victim
Deaths(#)  0
Injuried (#)  0
Note  

DAMAGES    

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

EVENT:  Date  26/2/1988 -  Date quality:   
Type:  
Description  an important avalanche of snow and ice is releasing and cleared the defence system (100.000 m3 of materials cross it)
Effects:  several hectares of forest are destroyed
Deaths(#)  0
Injuried (#)  0
Note  

DAMAGES    

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

EVENT:  Date  15/2/1984 -  Date quality:   
Type:  
Description  on several occasions during winter time, snow avalanches occurred. It seems that at least three of them had been released by serac falls : there were some ice blocks melting with snow in the avalanche
Effects:  more than 10 ha of forest have been damaged (15th of February) ; 5 buildings at least , whence an hold house from the XVIth century, property of the hôtel of “ 2 glaciers ”, have been destroyed or damaged (hamlet of Taconnaz, 16th of April).
Deaths(#)  0
Injuried (#)  0
Note  

DAMAGES    

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

EVENT:  Date  23/9/1921 -  Date quality:   
Type:  Glacier flood (contain both lakes and water pocket)
Description  a water pocket outburst occurred and provoked the flood of the torrent of Taconnaz
Effects:  no important damage
Deaths(#)  0
Injuried (#)  0
Note  the global quality of the information concerning the last events is medium, sources are reliable, but recitals are few detailed

DAMAGES    

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

EVENT:  Date  26/12/1909 -  Date quality:   
Type:  Ice avalanches
Description  a serac fall occurred at 3.000 m height, making a cone of 500 m length on 70 m width, with an average thick of 10 m : about 350.000 m3 of ice detached from the glacier
Effects:  only a few m3 of resinous have been destroyed
Deaths(#)  0
Injuried (#)  0
Note  

DAMAGES    

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

EVENT:  Date  24/12/1906 -  Date quality:   
Type:  
Description  a small serac fall has been observed, occurred at 3.200 m height, as far as 1.080 m height
Effects:  no damage
Deaths(#)  0
Injuried (#)  0
Note  

DAMAGES    

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

EVENT:  Date  18/3/1905 -  Date quality:   
Type:  Ice avalanches
Description  a serac fall occurred at 3.200 m height, making a cone of 250 m length on 100 m width, with an average thick of 15 m : about 375.000 m3 of ice loosed by the glacier
Effects:  no damage because the avalanche stop its run before the frontal moraine
Deaths(#)  0
Injuried (#)  0
Note  

DAMAGES    

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Lefèbvre, B., 1988 - Etude hydraulique des franchissements des torrents Rapport Sogreah n°60318 R1.
Mougin, P., 1925 - Avalanches, débâcles et érosions glaciaires Etudes glaciologiques, tome V, Imprimerie nationale. Paris, p. 163.

EVENT:  Date  20/8/1892 -  Date quality:   
Type:  Glacier flood (contain both lakes and water pocket)
Description  a glacial water pocket outburst occurred in the torrent of Taconnaz
Effects:  the flood was enough important for leading the flood of the Arve
Deaths(#)  0
Injuried (#)  0
Note  

DAMAGES    

BIBLIOGRAPHY