Mer de Glace

Mer de Glace, near Chamonix, France.

Mer de Glace, one of the longest glaciers in the Alps, extending for 3.5 miles (5.6 km) on the northern side of Mont Blanc near Chamonix, France. Formed by the confluence of the Géant and Leschaux glaciers below the Tacul massif of Mont Blanc, the glacier once descended to within 0.5 mile (0.8 km) of Les Tines in the Chamonix Valley. It has clearly developed lateral and medial moraines (accumulations of earth and stone deposited along the sides and in the middle of the glacier), and crescent-shaped flow marks show the more rapid movement of the center. Many tourists visit the glacier, since it is easily accessible by the cog-wheel railway between Chamonix and Montenvers.