Blatten: a disaster and mountains of questions...

Emotion, shock, horror: the Blatten disaster has sent shockwaves far beyond the Lötschental. While the village's future and the fate of its inhabitants are at the heart of immediate concerns, the event raises dizzying questions in the longer term.
What exactly is happening in our mountains? What is the impact of global warming on the acceleration of exceptional events? And how should human activity adapt to increased risk in mountain country?