Snow avalanche susceptibility in the eastern hillside of the Aramo Range (Asturian Central Massif, Cantabrian Mountains, NW Spain)

Abstract

A detailed snow avalanche susceptibility map of the eastern hillside in the Aramo Range (Cantabrian Mountains) is presented at a scale of 1:25,000. The Aramo Range is one of the major middle-altitude mountains of the Asturian Central Massif. Although it has of moderate height (maximum altitude of 1791 m a.s.l.), its eastern slope presents unusual snow avalanche activity. Specifically, a hundred of snow avalanche tracks have been mapped based on meticulous fieldwork and supported by interviews with local people, searches in newspaper archives, photointerpretation, and calculations based on the digital terrain model and geographic information system. As a result, a susceptibility map has been elaborated, which shows the suitability of combining fieldwork and geographic information technology. The composition consists of two maps that detail how the susceptibility mapping is obtained. The section analysed is limited to the eastern slope of the Aramo Range, whose total surface area is 1555.62 ha.

Geomorphology of the Sierra del Aramo (Asturian Central Massif, Cantabrian Mountains, NW Spain)

“…Specifically, the geological base has been drawn through from Merino-Tomé, Suárez, and Alonso (2014), and Aller (1993). Thus, the method employed involved field observations together with the interpretation of the Digital Terrain Model, the remote sensing of aerial photos and digital orthophotographs, and the consultation of both bibliographic and cartographic sources, especially geological ones (Alonso, 2019;Beato Bergua et al, 2018;Poblete Piedrabuena et al, 2016). The fieldwork was based on the use of GPS to locate and delineate the landforms and deposits that had been identified, described and included in geomorphological sketches.…”

“…Indeed, at these altitudes there are sub-zero temperatures 3-6 months a year, and half the precipitation falls as snow (Muñoz Jiménez, 1982); in winter the range is affected by very intense snowstorms (3 or 4 annually), which produce snow cover in the order of 1 m at altitudes from 980 m a.s.l. upwards (Beato Bergua et al, 2018).…”

“…The development of geomorphological mapping has contributed to show the relevance and richness of their landforms and processes (Alonso, 2014;García de Celis, 1997;González-Gutiérrez, 2002;González-Gutiérrez et al, 2010;González-Gutiérrez, Santos-González, Gómez-Villar, Redondo-Vega, & Prieto-Sarro, 2017;Pellitero, 2009Pellitero, , 2014Santos-González, 2011), especially in the Asturian sector affected by the Würm glaciation (Alonso, 2019;González-Trueba, 2007;González-Trueba, Serrano, & González, 2011;Rodríguez, 2009;Rodríguez-Rodríguez et al, 2018;Serrano & González-Trueba, 2005). Nevertheless, it should be noted that this richness is not limited to the highest elevations, as is revealed by the geomorphological maps of the mid-altitude mountains (Rodríguez, 2011(Rodríguez, , 2012(Rodríguez, , 2015Ruiz-Fernández, 2011), which have shown their usefulness in territorial management, despite the fact that these areas are not well studied and have not received the same degree of interest (Beato Bergua, Poblete Piedrabuena, & Marino Alfonso, 2018). Indeed, the Sierra del Aramo, a middle mountain range and the object of study of this paper, presents a great variety of landforms and geomorphological processes that constitute both an important natural heritage, and one of the foundations of its rich landscape, all of which, until now, has been undervalued (Beato Bergua, 2018).…”

Snow avalanche susceptibility of the Circo de Gredos (Iberian Central System, Spain)

“…Chueca & Julián, 2004Chueca, Julián, & Montañés, 2014;Furdada, 1996;Furdada & Vilaplana, 1998;Julián & Chueca, 1999;Julián et al, 2000) and Cantabrian ranges (e.g. Beato Bergua, Poblete Piedrabuena, & Marino Alfonso, 2018;González, Vega, Villar, & Gutiérrez, 2010;Vada, Frochoso, & Vilaplana, 2012). However, mountain ranges in the central region, such as the Iberian Central System, also present topographic and climatological conditions suitable for the occurrence of snow avalanche.…”

La dinámica del paisaje en la Sierra del Aramo (Macizo Central Asturiano): procesos naturales y antrópicos

“…Cabe destacar las tesis doctorales de Muñoz Trigo (1988), por su carácter pionero en la prevención y defensa contra aludes, y la recientemente defendida por Muntán (2016) en el ámbito de la dendrogeomorfología. En la Cordillera Cantábrica no son muchos los trabajos realizados hasta el momento, distinguiéndose dos tipos de investigaciones: por un lado, las de carácter geomorfológico (Castañón, 1984;gonzález & Serrano, 2010) y, por otro, las que abordan el riesgo y peligrosidad de los aludes de nieve basados en noticias de prensa (García-Hernández et al, 2017) o en mapas de susceptibilidad (Marquínez et al, 2003;Beato et al, 2018). Así mismo, cabe destacar los trabajos de Santos et al (2010) sobre el peligro de aludes en el Alto Sil, Vada et al (2012) en el Macizo Central de los Picos de Europa, Serrano et al (2016) en el Alto Carrión y, finalmente, el análisis de Poblete et al (2016) que aborda la susceptibilidad y peligrosidad de las avalanchas de nieve sobre la carretera AS-253 que asciende al Puerto de San Isidro.…”