Article
Environmental Sciences
Francesca Bearzot, Roberto Garzonio, Roberto Colombo, Giovanni Battista Crosta, Biagio Di Mauro, Matteo Fioletti, Umberto Morra Di Cella, Micol Rossini
Summary: This study measured the flow velocities of the Plator rock glacier in the Central Italian Alps using orthophotos acquired by drones from 2016 to 2020. The results showed different creep rates in different zones of the rock glacier, with higher rates near the front and lower rates in the rooting zone. The study also observed substantial advancement and destabilization processes in the Plator rock glacier between 1981 and 2020.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marco Marcer, Alessandro Cicoira, Diego Cusicanqui, Xavier Bodin, Thomas Echelard, Renee Obregon, Philippe Schoeneich
Summary: Rock glaciers in the French Alps have shown significantly increased velocities since the 1990s, with about 5% of active rock glaciers exhibiting destabilisation. This pattern is correlated with rising air temperatures in the region, suggesting a role of warming climate in this process.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Sebastian Vivero, Hanne Hendrickx, Amaury Frankl, Reynald Delaloye, Christophe Lambiel
Summary: This study presents a combination of UAV and TLS surveys for monitoring the changes in a rock glacier in the Swiss Alps. The results show accurate surface velocity and volume change information, providing a better understanding of the current dynamics of the rock glacier.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Thomas Wagner, Simon Seelig, Kay Helfricht, Andrea Fischer, Michael Avian, Karl Krainer, Gerfried Winkler
Summary: Rock glaciers play a significant role in the hydrological cycle by storing water in solid (ice) and liquid form (groundwater). With climate warming and glacier recession, the hydrological importance of rock glaciers is expected to increase in the European Alps.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Diego Cusicanqui, Antoine Rabatel, Christian Vincent, Xavier Bodin, Emmanuel Thibert, Bernard Francou
Summary: Rock glaciers are important components of the mountain cryosphere, consisting of a mix of ice and rock. This study focused on the long-term changes of the Laurichard rock glacier in the French Alps, revealing impacts of climate change on thickness, flow velocities, and surface mass balance. Results show an acceleration in flow speed and thickness changes mainly driven by surface mass balance, with the lower part of the rock glacier influenced by compressive flow in the most recent period.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Bin Cao, Xin Li, Min Feng, Donghai Zheng
Summary: Rock glaciers used as ground-truth observations can lead to overestimation of permafrost extent in models, particularly in discontinuous permafrost regions. Correcting this bias is crucial for better understanding permafrost conditions.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Francesca Bearzot, Roberto Garzonio, Biagio DiMaurob, Roberto Colombo, Edoardo Cremonese, Giovanni B. Crosta, Reynald Delaloye, Christian Hauck, Umberto Morra Di Cella, Paolo Pogliotti, Paolo Frattini, Micol Rossini
Summary: The study investigates the flow patterns of Gran Sometta rock glacier in the Western Italian Alps using various methods including UAV surveys, GNSS campaigns, geophysical prospections, and ground surface temperature data. The results reveal surface lowering and accumulation processes, with higher horizontal velocities observed on the left side of the rock glacier tongue and thaw subsidence on the right side. Comparison with other rock glaciers in the European Alps shows an increase in flow velocity in recent years. The dynamics of the rock glacier can be explained by the distribution of permafrost and the thermal regime of the ground surface.
Article
Geography, Physical
Emmanuel Thibert, Xavier Bodin
Summary: The longest time series of surface velocities recorded on a rock glacier in the French Alps shows that changes in velocity are uniform throughout the glacier, with a steady spatial structure over 35 years. A long-term trend of acceleration was detected, with two main phases of acceleration and a period of steady-state velocities in between.
PERMAFROST AND PERIGLACIAL PROCESSES
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Christian Kofler, Volkmar Mair, Francesco Comiti, Marc Zebisch, Stefan Schneiderbauer, Stefan Steger
Summary: This study investigates the sediment transfer capacity of rock glaciers and proposes a GIS-based method to assess their sediment transfer capacity. By considering factors such as topographic conditions and sediment transport rate, this method provides a qualitative index to evaluate the sediment transfer capacity of rock glacier fronts. The feasibility of this method is evaluated through field observations, data analysis, and empirical relationships.
Article
Water Resources
Thomas Wagner, Simon Kainz, Karl Krainer, Gerfried Winkler
Summary: Various hydro(geo)logical tools were used to assess the active rock glacier Innere olgrube and its catchment area in the Otztal Alps, Austria. The study found that snowmelt, ice melt, and rainfall contribute 35.8%, 27.6%, and 36.6%, respectively, to the catchment. Isotopic data revealed that water derived from ice melt mainly comes from two small cirque glaciers within the catchment.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christophe Lambiel, Tazio Strozzi, Nicolas Paillex, Sebastian Vivero, Nina Jones
Summary: In this study, we used Sentinel-1 InSAR data to inventory and map the active and transitional rock glaciers in the central part of the Southern Alps, New Zealand. A total of 123 rock glaciers were identified, with 40 being active and the rest considered transitional. The low number of inventoried landforms may be attributed to the reduced vertical extent of the periglacial belt and relatively low motion rates, possibly resulting from significant ground ice melt due to a mean annual air temperature above 0 degrees C at the rock glacier locations.
ARCTIC ANTARCTIC AND ALPINE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Diego Cusicanqui, Xavier Bodin, Pierre-Allain Duvillard, Philippe Schoeneich, Andre Revil, Alain Assier, Johan Berthet, Michel Peyron, Stephane Roudnitska, Antoine Rabatel
Summary: This study examines the long-term dynamics of the Chauvet glacial and periglacial system in the southern French Alps, specifically focusing on lake outburst floods. Through a multidisciplinary approach, including photogrammetry, geophysical surveys, and geomorphological mapping, the study reveals the spatial and functional interactions between glacial and periglacial features, particularly in the lower sector. The findings highlight the highest thinning rates in ice-rich terrain and an overall acceleration of landform creeping after the 2000s, with the water flowing through a conduit influenced by lateral convergence and ice melting.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Fabian Fleischer, Florian Haas, Moritz Altmann, Jakob Rom, Bettina Knoflach, Michael Becht
Summary: Rock glaciers are landforms in high mountains that creep downslope under cryo-conditioned conditions and are influenced by external factors, including climate change. This study focuses on the historical development of the Innere olgruben rock glacier in Austria, utilizing stereophotogrammetric maps, flow velocity profiles, historical aerial photographs, and airborne laser scanning data. The results show changes in flow velocity, surface elevation, and frontal advance over almost a century, indicating increased frontal advance and severe subsidence between 1922 and 1953. The study identifies differences in the geomorphic development of the two lobes of the rock glacier, which may be attributed to variations in internal structure, bedrock topography, and upslope connection.
PERMAFROST AND PERIGLACIAL PROCESSES
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Sarah Kamleitner, Susan Ivy-Ochs, Giovanni Monegato, Franco Gianotti, Naki Akcar, Christof Vockenhuber, Marcus Christl, Hans-Arno Synal
Summary: We present a new glacier chronology of the Ticino-Toce glacier in the Southern Alps, reconstructing the timing and extent of its Last Glacial Maximum advance with detailed landform relationships and surface exposure dating. The study reveals that the glacier remained relatively stable with only minor oscillations over a period of approximately 5000 years, and the Verbano piedmont lobe was larger than previously thought. Additionally, the research suggests synchronized glacier advances across the Western Alps, except for the southwestern massifs.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Mauro Guglielmin, Stefano Ponti, Emanuele Forte, Nicoletta Cannone
Summary: In the Italian Central Alps near the Stelvio Pass, significant air warming has contributed to the rapid increase in permafrost temperature and the development of thermokarst depressions since 1999. The area remained free of vegetation until early 2000, when vegetation colonization started in response to the thermokarst development and summer warming. The observed responses and dynamics of the alpine tundra in this region show similarities with the Arctic tundra in terms of both permafrost and vegetation.
PERMAFROST AND PERIGLACIAL PROCESSES
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
P. Frattini, F. Riva, G. B. Crosta, R. Scotti, L. Greggio, F. Brardinoni, N. Fusi
Article
Geography, Physical
Wilfried Hagg, Riccardo Scotti, Fabio Villa, Elisabeth Mayer, Achim Heilig, Christoph Mayer, Wennemar Tamm, Tassilo Hock
GEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES A-PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
(2017)
Article
Geography, Physical
Riccardo Scotti, Francesco Brardinoni, Giovanni Battista Crosta, Giuseppe Cola, Volkmar Mair
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2017)
Article
Geography, Physical
Riccardo Scotti, Francesco Brardinoni, Stefano Alberti, Paolo Frattini, Giovanni B. Crosta
Article
Geography, Physical
R. Scotti, F. Brardinoni, G. B. Crosta
Article
Geography, Physical
Anna Riccardi, Giorgio Vassena, Riccardo Scotti, Matteo Sgrenzaroli
GEOGRAFIA FISICA E DINAMICA QUATERNARIA
(2010)
