Europe's Mont Blanc shrinking, moving

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By Agence France-Presse

ANNECY, France (Agence France-Presse) | Western Europe's tallest peak, the snow-capped Alpine giant Mont Blanc, has shrunk by 18 inches in two years, experts said Thursday after an official survey.

The new height of Mont Blanc, which lies on the three-way border of France, Italy and Switzerland, is now 15,782.3 feet, just over half that of Nepal's Mount Everest.

The volume of snow and ice coating the summit has also dropped by about a tenth, topographer Bernard Dupont told reporters, adding that this could not be linked directly to the effects of climate change.

Mr. Dupont said that climate change indicators could only truly be measured on a scale of 30 years or more and that ice temperatures and precipitation levels farther down the mountain just below 10,000 feet would be a better guide.

The expedition, which included the mayor of Annecy, France, a Winter Olympics candidate, also found that the highest point on the mountain had shifted 85 feet closer to Italy but remained in France.

Maps, reference guides and school books will be updated accordingly.