Report: Slab may fall from Eiger any day
July 10, 2006A geologist in Switzerland is warning Europe a massive rock slab may break away soon from the treacherous mountain of Eiger.
Geologist Hans-Rudolf Keusen told the Times of London that any day now, a slab of rock weighing millions of tons may crash into the valley below. Keusen, who monitors the Bernese Alps for the Swiss government, said the collapse of 2 million cubic meters, equivalent in volume to two Empire State Buildings, will be the biggest rock fall in Europe for 15 years.
Keusen credits the fissure between the limestone slab and the rock face to recent climate changes.
The Times reported that in the past week, tourists have been flocking to the nearby town of Grindelwald, hoping to catch the spectacular sight of 5 million tons of limestone falling more than 650 feet.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
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