Déclin des deux plus grands glaciers des Alpes françaises au cours du XXIe siècle: Argentière et Mer de Glace

Numerical simulations have been performed to infer the fate of the two largest glaciers of the French Alps during the 21st century. For the scenario with reduction of greenhouse gas emissions before the end of the 21st century (RCP 4.5), the model shows that the Argentiere glacier might disappear towards the end of the 21st century and the Mer de Glace surface area could decrease by 80 %. For the most pessimistic scenario with a continuous increase in greenhouse gas emissions (RCP 8.5), Argentiere and Mer de Glace might disappear before 2080 and before the end of the 21st century, respectively.