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GLACIER "EPENA"
Risk type: glacier flood and ice avalanches

 Glacier list | Statistics
 
Type:  Cirque glacier
Country:  France
Region:  Savoie
Massif/Ice Cap:  Vanoise
Municipality:  
Municipality code:  
Location:  The glacier goes down from the Pointe of the Grande Casse, in the valley of Doron of Champagny. This phenomenon concerns the tongue very cracked and recovered by debris
 
Latitude (°, cent):  45.25
Longitude (°, cent):  6.49
Surface (km2):  1
Lenght (km):  1.7
Width (km):  
Min. altitude (m):  2300
Max. altitude (m):  2800
Orientation (°)  
Slope (°)  16

EVENT:  Date  26/1/1987 -  Date quality:   
Type:  
Description  ( this phenomenon concerns the Geay glacier ) a big slice of serac has fallen in the Italian corridor, in the north slope of the "Grande Casse", leading others seracs and snow. The ice detached 200m under the highest point has went over 600m of unlevel (dénivelée) in the shape of an aerosol avalanche before stopping on the plateau at 300m high. The cloud of the avalanche has went up the side of the “ aiguille of Epenaz ” over 400m high. The volume detached is estimated as a parallelepiped of 50*20*150m of volume
Effects:  the avalanche has taken away three skiers and the assistance has been very disturbed by small ice falls for one week
Deaths(#)  0
Injuried (#)  0
Note  

DAMAGES    

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

EVENT:  Date  3/7/1827 -  Date quality:   
Type:  
Description  a new serac fall has occurred, still baring the valley
Effects:  the lake level has increased, without any consequences downstream
Deaths(#)  0
Injuried (#)  0
Note  

DAMAGES    

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

EVENT:  Date  26/5/1826 -  Date quality:   
Type:  
Description  a new serac fall occurred, still baring the valley
Effects:  the lake level has increased, it has partially emptied but didn’t caused any damage in the valley
Deaths(#)  0
Injuried (#)  0
Note  

DAMAGES    

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

EVENT:  Date  25/5/1820 -  Date quality:   
Type:  Ice avalanches
Description  a serac fall occurred, which one has obstructed the valley again
Effects:  the lake level has increase, but didn’t really threaten the valley
Deaths(#)  0
Injuried (#)  0
Note  

DAMAGES    

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

EVENT:  Date  15/6/1818 -  Date quality:   
Type:  Ice avalanches
Description  the glacier of the Epena rise in the water level (end of the « Petit Age de Glace »), is responsible of a huge serac fall. It has obstrued the high valley of Doron de Champagny at a rock constriction level (au niveau d'un verrou rocheux), which has created an ice dam. The lake level of the Glière has increased of 7,70 m ; it contains more than 3,5.106 m3 of water. Then, the ice dyke has broken, releasing a big quantity of water in the valley.
Effects:  bridges have been brought and lands very eroded as far as 45 km downstream (confluence with the Isère)
Deaths(#)  0
Injuried (#)  0
Note  the global quality of the information is good; actually, this event, by the scope of the catastrophe had lead many testimonies with many details. We don’t’ know anything about the ice dam volume

DAMAGES    

Type:   Description:

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Chapoutot, P., 1998 - L'Epena, Montagne secrète de Vanoise Imprimerie l'Edelweiss, Bourg-St-Maurice, 46 p.
Mougin, P., 1906 - La débâcle de Champagny Revue de Géographie Alpine, IX, p. 245-251
Mougin, P., 1925 - Avalanches, débâcles et érosions glaciaires Etudes glaciologiques, tome V, Imprimerie nationale. Paris, p. 160 et 165.
Rabot, C., 1910 - Le glacier de Lépenaz de 1818 à 1847 Zeitschrift fur Gletscherkunde und Glazialgeologie, 5, p. 143-148.
Vivian, R., 1975 - Les glaciers des Alpes occidentales Thèse d'état, Imprimerie Allier, Grenoble, p.346.