Ice Loss and Slope Stability in High-Mountain Regions

Deline, Philip; Gruber, Stephan; Delaloye, Reynald; Fischer, Luzia; Geertsema, Marten; Giardino, Marco; Hasler, Andreas; Kirkbride, Martin P.; Krautblatter, Michael; Magnin, Florence; McColl, Samuel T.; Ravanel, Ludovic; Schoeneich, Philippe

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-394849-6.00015-9

Cited by 112 publications

(114 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…The relationship between bedrock slope instability and glacier retreat is well known (Jarman, 2006;McColl, 2012;McColl and Davies, 2012) and recent research in the Alps has highlighted the effects of permafrost degradation associated with bedrock slopes (Gruber et al, 2004;Gruber and Haeberli, 2007;Deline et al, 2015). Development of Smørbotn 7 is likely to have proceeded rapidly following deglaciation and to have been triggered by debuttressing of the bedrock slopes below the ice-sheet limit at~1500 m a.s.l.…”

Section: The Legacy Of Glaciers and Glacier-permafrost Interactionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Improved Schmidt-hammer exposure ages for active and relict pronival ramparts in southern Norway, and their palaeoenvironmental implications

Matthews

Wilson

2015

Geomorphology

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Section: The Legacy Of Glaciers and Glacier-permafrost Interactionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Improved Schmidt-hammer exposure ages for active and relict pronival ramparts in southern Norway, and their palaeoenvironmental implications

Matthews

Wilson

2015

Geomorphology

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“…Rockfall can be attributed to various triggering factors (Fischer et al, 2012;Krautblatter et al, 2013), including a fast reaction of rock faces to climate change expressed in rapid active layer thickening and permafrost degradation (e.g. Allen and Huggel, 2013;Deline et al, 2015;Gruber and Haeberli, 2007;Ravanel and Deline, 2011;Sass and Oberlechner, 2012). Rock wall instability is a risk to the safety of local communities and infrastructure in the densely populated Alps (Bommer et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distributed snow and rock temperature modelling in steep rock walls using Alpine3D

et al. 2017

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Abstract. In this study we modelled the influence of the spatially and temporally heterogeneous snow cover on the surface energy balance and thus on rock temperatures in two rugged, steep rock walls on the Gemsstock ridge in the central Swiss Alps. The heterogeneous snow depth distribution in the rock walls was introduced to the distributed, processbased energy balance model Alpine3D with a precipitation scaling method based on snow depth data measured by terrestrial laser scanning. The influence of the snow cover on rock temperatures was investigated by comparing a snowcovered model scenario (precipitation input provided by precipitation scaling) with a snow-free (zero precipitation input) one. Model uncertainties are discussed and evaluated at both the point and spatial scales against 22 near-surface rock temperature measurements and high-resolution snow depth data from winter terrestrial laser scans.In the rough rock walls, the heterogeneously distributed snow cover was moderately well reproduced by Alpine3D with mean absolute errors ranging between 0.31 and 0.81 m. However, snow cover duration was reproduced well and, consequently, near-surface rock temperatures were modelled convincingly. Uncertainties in rock temperature modelling were found to be around 1.6 • C. Errors in snow cover modelling and hence in rock temperature simulations are explained by inadequate snow settlement due to linear precipitation scaling, missing lateral heat fluxes in the rock, and by errors caused by interpolation of shortwave radiation, wind and air temperature into the rock walls.Mean annual near-surface rock temperature increases were both measured and modelled in the steep rock walls as a consequence of a thick, long-lasting snow cover. Rock temperatures were 1.3-2.5 • C higher in the shaded and sunny rock walls, while comparing snow-covered to snow-free simulations. This helps to assess the potential error made in ground temperature modelling when neglecting snow in steep bedrock.

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“…Firstly, the deglaciation of rockwalls and permafrost degradation increase the debris supply to glacier systems (Bosson et al, 2015;Deline et al, 2015). Secondly, because the driving stress is positively related to ice thickness, thinning glaciers have weaker flow and, therefore, less ability to evacuate the sediment load to the hydrosystem (Benn et al, 2003;Paul et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Internal Structure and Current Evolution of Very Small Debris-Covered Glacier Systems Located in Alpine Permafrost Environments

Bosson

Lambiel

2016

Front. Earth Sci.

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This contribution explores the internal structure of very small debris-covered glacier systems located in permafrost environments and their current dynamical responses to short-term climatic variations. Three systems were investigated with electrical resistivity tomography and dGPS monitoring over a 3-year period. Five distinct sectors are highlighted in each system: firn and bare-ice glacier, debris-covered glacier, heavily debris-covered glacier of low activity, rock glacier and ice-free debris. Decimetric to metric movements, related to ice ablation, internal deformation and basal sliding affect the glacial zones, which are mainly active in summer. Conversely, surface lowering is close to zero (−0.04 m yr −1 ) in the rock glaciers. Here, a constant and slow internal deformation was observed (c. 0.2 m yr −1 ). Thus, these systems are affected by both direct and high magnitude responses and delayed and attenuated responses to climatic variations. This differential evolution appears mainly controlled by (1) the proportion of ice, debris and the presence of water in the ground, and (2) the thickness of the superficial debris layer.

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Ice Loss and Slope Stability in High-Mountain Regions

Cited by 112 publications

References 93 publications

Improved Schmidt-hammer exposure ages for active and relict pronival ramparts in southern Norway, and their palaeoenvironmental implications

Improved Schmidt-hammer exposure ages for active and relict pronival ramparts in southern Norway, and their palaeoenvironmental implications

Distributed snow and rock temperature modelling in steep rock walls using Alpine3D

Internal Structure and Current Evolution of Very Small Debris-Covered Glacier Systems Located in Alpine Permafrost Environments

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