A low‐angle slushflow in the Kirgiz Range, Kirgizstan

Abstract

A rare observation of a slushflow that released on a low-angle slope was made on 16 May 1992 in the West Karakol Valley, southern Kirgiz Range, Kirgizstan. The slushflow released on a short slope of 6" and travelled a distance of 140 m over a slope with a mean angle of 3" with a mean channel width of about 4 m. Total volume of snow and slush transported by the slide was more than 200 m3 with an estimated mass of 200,000 kg. Estimated velocity of the flow was 5 ms-'. Meteorological conditions preceding the event included heavy cloud cover and clear skies with warm temperatures. Rain fell for about six hours during the day before the event. Mixed rain and snow precipitation continued through the preceding night accompanied by steady high winds. The day of the release was warm with overcast skies and light rain. The snowpack was generally saturated to the surface at the time of the release, and water was flowing over the snow surface in the path of the slushflow. RESUMEUn phCnomene geomorphologique rarement dtcrit, B savoir le fluage d'une masse de neige KEY WORDS: Slushflow Avalanche Snowpack Flood

Meteorological conditions during slush‐flow release and their geomorphological impact in northwestern iceland: a case study from the bíldudalur valley

“…Slush flows have also been described in lower-latitude mountainous environments (Furdada et al 1999;Elder and Kattelmann 1993), and so may be expected in all areas with a seasonal snow-cover though they may occur less frequently there.…”

Wet snow avalanche deposits in the french alps: structure and sedimentology

“…The geomorphic context as well as the impact of these two types are significantly different. Slush flows start on relatively gentle slopes, in gullies or channels where water coming from snow melt and rains concentrates (Luckman 1977;Nyberg 1987;Elder and Kattelmann 1993). These avalanches, which usually have a long return period (40 years) in the French Alps (Francou 1988) and an important geomorphic impact (Tricart 1961), generate deposits roughly similar to those of debris flows, characterized by a tongue-shaped frontal lobe and voluminous lateral levées edging the channel (Nyberg 1987).…”

Exceptional ablation arising from rainfall- induced slushflows: Brewster Glacier, New Zealand

“…Super-elevated slush can drain and regain strength so that ice levees are commonly produced (e.g. Elder and Kattlemann, 1993). Ice particle size is probably a critical control not of strength, but through permeability aecting the water balance.…”

“…However, when the ®rn water table rises to the snow surface, the resulting buoyancy can lead to the release of slush¯ows. There have been relatively few studies of slush¯ows (Onesti, 1985(Onesti, , 1987Elder and Kattlemann, 1993) and, with the exception of MuÈ ller and Keeler (1969), their in¯uence on glacier seasonal ablation has generally been ignored (e.g. Menzies, 1995;Benn and Evans, 1998), or dispensed with by considering simpler surfaces (e.g.…”