Gran Sasso: the Calderone Glacier is in excellent health

on Wednesday 13 July 2011
by Franco Merli
photo by Ghiacciai

Ghiacciaio Calderone

Dell''associazione weather observations from "The'Aquila Frigoris Caput," which monitors for over ten years development, the Calderone Glacier appears to be in great shape. Since 1929 the glacier has been the systematic inspections of'oggetto whose results were published each year in the Bulletin of the Committee Glacialogico Italian, but above all in recent years when it seems there has been un''inversione trend.
Despite the constant warnings about global warming, the data even suggest an increase in surface area and thickness of the glacier.

The Calderone Glacier is located in the Abruzzo region on the northern side of Big Horn in the Gran Sasso d''Italia. Set in a valley north-facing, shaded by two lines relative peak of the Corno Grande, is located at an altitude between 2600 and 2900 meters above sea level. With its latitude of about 42 Â°, has just won the record for most southerly glacier'Europa after'estinzione Corral del Veleta glacier in the Sierra Nevada in Spain, but because of climate change anch''esso act seemed destined to disappear.

Looking at the'evoluzione had in recent years in the photo gallery attached, although there is some difficult season (2003 and 2007), there was a good health and an increase in the area.

Based on surveys conducted in the years 1958-60 the share of the highest peak overlooking the glacier (West of Big Horn Peak) is of 2912 meters above sea level, while the share of the highest point of the glacier was 2867 meters and the the lowest point of 2676 meters, with a height difference of 191 meters so. The maximum length in horizontal projection was 390 meters, the maximum width (across the slope) of 230 meters, the slope of the surface area of â€‹â€‹260 meters with a maximum around 500 in the top draws. The power is mainly directed even if they are significant inputs of wind-blown snow or precipitated in the form of an avalanche from the rocky slopes that surround the glacier.
The actual limit of the snow was persistent about 2750-2800 meters above sea level, but the appearance of the glacier not only vary from year to year, but also from season to season.