As we enter Autumn, the scene in the alps continues to worry us all. There have been several occasions recently when we have experienced the resounding crash of rockfalls. The soaring temperatures throughout the summer have not really let up at all.
Mountain collapse is not new. Turner's picture of ‘Avalanche in the Grisons' (1804 ) depicts the devastating effects of nature's destruction. But it is the frequency today that rings alarm bells.
Turner's Avalanche in the Grisons (1804)
Look at this collapse which I saw happening in front of my eyes in August 2024, in the Aosta Valley. I took this photo of erosion whilst on a chairlift. What looks like 'cloud' in the rock is actually dust and debris. It was shocking to see - and loud!
Photograph copyright Lumby Bishop, August 2024
This and other work by JWM Turner inspired me to make my own painting of a Mountain collapsing. Here you see the mountain has started to split, and a very large boulder has fallen onto the road.
To see more along this theme, go to my collection on Global Warming