• Breaking News
  • U.S. News
  • Contact
  • View Print Edition
    • CL Digital
  • Subscribe
Saturday, January 28, 2023
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
Advertise with us
The Chicago Leader
Donate Now
  • Home
    • Events
    • Subscribe to the print newspaper
    • Scavenger Hunt Contest
    • Download Media Kit PDF
    • Ad submission
    • Sponsors
  • World
    New Laws

    New Laws Begin Next Year in Illinois

    Real Issues

    Real Issues in the K-Pop Industry

    China

    China Protests Against COVID and Lack of Freedom

    Trending Tags

    • Breaking News
    • Health
    • Coronavirus
    • coronavirus pandemic
  • U.S. News
    • All
    • Black History
    • Chicago
    • Illinois
    Lakesia

    Lakesia Collins the Superhero of the West Side

    youth

    AMBER-ALERT Missing Youth in Chicago

    Lightfoot

    The Lightfoot Campaign Might Be Investigated

    Trending Tags

    • U.S.
    • U.S. Census
    • Politics
  • Business
    • All
    • Jobs
    Phalanx

    January’s Letter From Phalanx Family Services’ CEO

    Chicago

    Chicago Is Home to Restaurant’s With High-Grossing in All America

    Tre'byen

    Branding With Tre’byen Sets New Standards

    Trending Tags

    • Wall Street
    • Trump
    • Bankruptcy
    • Federal Reserve Bank
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Arts
    • Book Review
    • Chicago Film Office
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Review
    renner

    Jeremy Renner Receives Love From Fans After Tragic Snowplow Accident

    avatar

    ‘Avatar 2’ Crosses $1 Billion Mark at Global Box Office

    White

    Earth, Wind & Fire Drummer, Fred White, Dies at 67

    Trending Tags

    • Movies
    • marvel movies
    • Dancing
  • Sports
  • Science
    • All
    • CBD
    • Climate
    • Marijuana
    Exoplanet

    Exoplanet 55 Cancri E Has 17.5 Hour Year

    Dangers

    Dangers of Smoking Tobacco

    Breast Cancer

    Breast Cancer Awareness Month Is in October

    Trending Tags

    • UFO
    • Coronavirus
    • Novel coronavirus
    • coronavirus pandemic
    • NASA
    • scientists
  • Health
    • All
    • COVID-19
    • Faith
    • food
    • homeopathy
    • mental health
    • prostate
    Procrastination

    The Truth About Procrastination

    ADHD

    Those With ADHD or ASD Are More Likely to Suffer Anxiety, Depression

    COVID

    CPS Asks Students to Take COVID Test Before Returning

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Mr. Robot
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Climate Change
    • Flat Earth
  • English
  • Spanish
  • Home
    • Events
    • Subscribe to the print newspaper
    • Scavenger Hunt Contest
    • Download Media Kit PDF
    • Ad submission
    • Sponsors
  • World
    New Laws

    New Laws Begin Next Year in Illinois

    Real Issues

    Real Issues in the K-Pop Industry

    China

    China Protests Against COVID and Lack of Freedom

    Trending Tags

    • Breaking News
    • Health
    • Coronavirus
    • coronavirus pandemic
  • U.S. News
    • All
    • Black History
    • Chicago
    • Illinois
    Lakesia

    Lakesia Collins the Superhero of the West Side

    youth

    AMBER-ALERT Missing Youth in Chicago

    Lightfoot

    The Lightfoot Campaign Might Be Investigated

    Trending Tags

    • U.S.
    • U.S. Census
    • Politics
  • Business
    • All
    • Jobs
    Phalanx

    January’s Letter From Phalanx Family Services’ CEO

    Chicago

    Chicago Is Home to Restaurant’s With High-Grossing in All America

    Tre'byen

    Branding With Tre’byen Sets New Standards

    Trending Tags

    • Wall Street
    • Trump
    • Bankruptcy
    • Federal Reserve Bank
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Arts
    • Book Review
    • Chicago Film Office
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Review
    renner

    Jeremy Renner Receives Love From Fans After Tragic Snowplow Accident

    avatar

    ‘Avatar 2’ Crosses $1 Billion Mark at Global Box Office

    White

    Earth, Wind & Fire Drummer, Fred White, Dies at 67

    Trending Tags

    • Movies
    • marvel movies
    • Dancing
  • Sports
  • Science
    • All
    • CBD
    • Climate
    • Marijuana
    Exoplanet

    Exoplanet 55 Cancri E Has 17.5 Hour Year

    Dangers

    Dangers of Smoking Tobacco

    Breast Cancer

    Breast Cancer Awareness Month Is in October

    Trending Tags

    • UFO
    • Coronavirus
    • Novel coronavirus
    • coronavirus pandemic
    • NASA
    • scientists
  • Health
    • All
    • COVID-19
    • Faith
    • food
    • homeopathy
    • mental health
    • prostate
    Procrastination

    The Truth About Procrastination

    ADHD

    Those With ADHD or ASD Are More Likely to Suffer Anxiety, Depression

    COVID

    CPS Asks Students to Take COVID Test Before Returning

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Mr. Robot
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Climate Change
    • Flat Earth
  • English
  • Spanish
No Result
View All Result
Chicago Leader
No Result
View All Result

Alpine Avalanche Kills at Least 7 Hikers Amid Record Temperatures [Video]

by Cathy Milne-Ware
July 5, 2022
in Climate, Featured, Headlines, Science
0
Avalanche

Courtesy of Kordula Vahle (Pixabay CC0)

0
SHARES
8
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Don't like to read?

A large section of ice broke off an Alpine glacier in Northeastern Italy’s Dolomite mountains triggering an avalanche of rock, snow, and ice. Rescuers rushed to the Marmolada glacier by helicopter to search for surviving hikers. Officials report seven known casualties and nine people injured.

Initially, 17 hikers were unaccounted for, but that number dropped to an estimated 13 hikers who remain missing: “Their failure to return [was] reported by family members,” according to a Facebook post by the Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico (CNSAS), aka the National Alpine Cliff and Cave Rescue Corps.

“The crack in the glacier is directly related to climate change,” Renato R. Colucci, PhD., a scientist at the Institute of Polar Science, said during an interview with Corriere Della Sera, Italy’s daily newspaper. Climatologists believe the Marmolada glacier, the largest in Northeastern Italy’s Dolomites, will likely disappear in 20 to 30 years if the current climate trends persist. They base this theory on the glacier’s loss of volume and area between 2004 and 2015; 30% and 22%, respectively.

“We are…in the worst conditions for a detachment of this kind when there’s so much heat and so much running water at the base. We aren’t yet able to understand if it was a deep or superficial detachment, but the size of it seems very big judging from the preliminary images and information received,” Dr. Colucci added.

The Italian Alps are in the middle of an early summer heatwave; the region is suffering the worst drought in 70 years. In addition, climatologists say that the glaciers do not have the protective blanket necessary to prevent melting due to decreased snowfall during the winter. Glaciologist Mauri Pelto of Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts, explained:

Bare glaciers melt faster because the lack of snow cover exposes ice that is darker and typically plastered with dirt, dust, and debris that absorbs more heat. When glaciers lose their snowpack, they’re much more vulnerable.

Italy’s Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, visited the rescue base in Canazei on Monday. He acknowledged avalanches are unpredictable, and their devastation is proportionate to the amount of deterioration caused by the climate crisis.

Weather Affects Search and Rescue for Avalanche Victims

Avalanche
Courtesy of Rupertsciamenna (Wikimedia CC0)
When the avalanche swept down the mountainside on Sunday, July 3, 2022, its deadly force was captured on video. “Several hikers were killed immediately in the rush of ice, rock, and debris that moved with ferocious speed,” reports NPR.

Higher than average temperatures and rain have complicated the search these past three days. CNSAS teams suspended their search on Sunday due to the dangers associated with hot temperatures.

On Monday, thunderstorms hampered rescue crews. The conditions were too dangerous for National Alpine Cliff and Cave Rescue Corps members and dogs to resume searching for those missing or to bring down bodies.

Avalanche
Courtesy of Maureen Barlin (Flickr CC0)
“Rescuers said conditions downslope from the glacier were still too unstable to send back teams of people and dogs to dig into tons of debris,” according to NBC News.

Rescuers resumed their search for avalanche victims using helicopters and drones on Tuesday.

Matteo Gasperini told Sky TG24 News they hope to complete the work of monitoring the entire avalanche site to find survivors, according to NPR.

An Alpine Rescue Corps member, Luigi Felicetti, told state-owned Radiotelevisione Italian (TRI):

It was a crazy scene where the bodies were found because there were blocks of ice and enormous rocks everywhere as we started to look for people.

The CNSAS Facebook page indicates that until the situation is resolved, “access to the Marmolada mountain range is forbidden.”

Written by Cathy Milne-Ware

Sources:

NPR: Rescuers in Italy are looking for missing mountain climbers after an avalanche; by Adam Raney
NPR: Rescuers are using drones to help search for avalanche survivors in Italy
WFSU Public Media: Alpine avalanche in Italy leaves 7 known dead
NBC News: Chunk of alpine glacier detaches in Italy, killing at least 6 hikers, injuring 9
USA Today: At least 15 hikers missing, 7 dead after Alpine glacier avalanche in Italy
Nature: The loss of the world’s frozen places; by Alexandra Witze
NASA Earth Observatory: Losing a Layer of Protection; by Adam Voiland

Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Kordula Vahle’s Pixabay Page – Creative Commons License
First Inset Image by Rupertsciamenna Courtesy of Wikimedia – Creative Commons License
Second Inset Image Courtesy of Maureen Barlin’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License

Tags: avalanche
Cathy Milne-Ware

Cathy Milne-Ware

Next Post
officials

Officials Charge Highland Park Shooter With 7 Counts of 1st Degree Murder

Recent Posts

  • Lakesia Collins the Superhero of the West Side
  • AMBER-ALERT Missing Youth in Chicago
  • Patricia Ezeanyim Bio

Newsletter

Loading
No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • Ad submission
  • Contact
  • Team
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • FAQ
  • Mission

© 2018 TNS - TNS theme by Frackle TNSthemes.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Politics
  • World
  • Business
  • Science
  • Entertainment
  • Gaming
  • Movie
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Health and Lifestyle
  • View Print Edition
  • Subscribe to the print newspaper
  • Contact

© 2018 TNS - TNS theme by Frackle TNSthemes.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Support independent local journalism by subscribing to the Chicago Leader print
and digital publication for just $15 a year.

Subscribe Now