From melting ice to earthquakes

Climate-driven changes in snow and glaciers can modify groundwater infiltration and pore-fluid pressure within fractured mountain rocks. At the Grandes Jorasses, in the Mont Blanc Massif, we found evidence that seasonal meltwater infiltration contributes to triggering earthquake activity.

The question: can melting ice trigger earthquakes?

The melting of snow and glaciers increases the amount of water entering the mountain hydrological system. But what happens when this water infiltrates deep into fractured rock?

At the Grandes Jorasses, we found evidence that meltwater reaches a major fault zone and modifies the hydraulic conditions that control earthquake activity. This provides observational evidence for a link between cryosphere change, groundwater circulation and seismicity.

The observation: something changed in 2015

2006–2015 → relatively low activity

2015 onward → strong seasonal activity

The earthquakes follow the water

Hydrological observations indicate that young surface meltwater reaches the groundwater system feeding the fault zone.