Over the last few years, scientists from 14 different European teams have been studying the Chamonix permafrost, in research known as the "PermaNet" project. Their goal is to locate permafrost (soil or rock which stays at a temperature of less than 0°C for more than two years) in the Alps, and to measure its state. After three years of sampling & collecting data, it seems that the permafrost is in a state of degradation in the Alps, which suggests a bleak future for some high-altitude installations and even for the water supply of the European Alpine regions. Le Dauphiné
