Mont Blanc facts for kids
Mont Blanc (which means White Mountain) is a very famous mountain in the Alps. It's also called Monte Bianco in Italian. This giant mountain stands tall at about 4,810.90 metres high.
Many people think Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in Europe. However, if you include Mount Elbrus (which is 5,642 meters tall) in the Caucasus mountains, then Mont Blanc is the second highest. Mont Blanc sits right on the border between Italy and France.
How Tall is Mont Blanc?
The very top of Mont Blanc is covered in a thick cap of ice and snow that stays there all year. Because this ice and snow can get thicker or thinner, the mountain's exact height changes a little bit. This means there isn't one single, permanent height for the summit. But scientists measure it often!
For a long time, its official height was about 4,807 m (15,771 ft). In 2002, experts used GPS technology to measure it more precisely. They found it was 4,807.40 m (15,772 ft 4 in).
After a very hot summer in Europe in 2003, a team of scientists measured the mountain again. They found its height was 4,808.45 m (15,775.8 ft). The peak had also moved about 75 cm (30 in) from where it was in 2002.
Since then, the height of Mont Blanc has been measured every two years. This helps scientists understand how the mountain changes over time. For example, in 2005, it was measured at 4,808.75 m (15,776 ft 9 in). The rock underneath the ice was found to be at 4,792 m (15,722 ft).
More recent measurements include:
- 2007: 4,807.9 m (15,774 ft)
- 2009: 4,807.45 m (15,772 ft)
- 2013: 4,810.02 m (15,781 ft)
- 2015: 4,808.73 m (15,777 ft)
From the top of Mont Blanc on a clear day, you can see many other mountain ranges. These include the Jura, the Vosges, the Black Forest, and the Massif Central. You can also see the main peaks of the Alps. It's an amazing view!
Images for kids
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Mont Blanc as seen from Valdigne in Aosta Valley, Italy.
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Mont Blanc from the TMB
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The original Vallot refuge (a mountain shelter) near Mont Blanc summit, at an altitude of 4,362 m
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Entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel in Italy.
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View from the Glacier des Bossons, May 2021
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Mont Blanc seen from the Rébuffat platform on Aiguille du Midi
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Mont Blanc in 3D
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Aerial view of the south-eastern side of Mont Blanc, taken from a plane.
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A panoramic view of Mont Blanc from Aiguille du Midi
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View from Vallee Blanche of Glacier du Géant and Dent du Géant, looking down Glacier du Tacul towards the Mer de Glace, with Aiguille du Moine, les Drus and Aiguille Verte in centre-left
See also
In Spanish: Mont Blanc para niños
