Articles | Volume 11, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1311-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Special issue:
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1311-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
06 Jun 2017
Research article |
| 06 Jun 2017
Numerical modelling of convective heat transport by air flow in permafrost talus slopes
Jonas Wicky
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, 1700, Switzerland
Christian Hauck
Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, 1700, Switzerland
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Cited
54 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Controlling factors of microclimate in blocky surface layers of two nearby relict rock glaciers (Niedere Tauern Range, Austria) T. Wagner et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/04353676.2019.1670950
- Comment on ‘Geophysical approach to the study of a periglacial blockfield in a mountain area (Ztracené kameny, Eastern Sudetes, Czech Republic)’ by T. Uxa et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2018.10.010
- Convective heat transfer of spring meltwater accelerates active layer phase change in Tibet permafrost areas Y. Zhao et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-825-2022
- Soil hydrothermal modeling in a dry alpine agricultural zone: The effect of soil airflow J. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.115354
- Liquid‐Vapor‐Air Flow in the Frozen Soil L. Yu et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD028502
- STEMMUS-UEB v1.0.0: integrated modeling of snowpack and soil water and energy transfer with three complexity levels of soil physical processes L. Yu et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-7345-2021
- Transitional rock glaciers at sea level in northern Norway K. Lilleøren et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-975-2022
- Twenty years of European mountain permafrost dynamics—the PACE legacy B. Etzelmüller et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abae9d
- An integrated observation dataset of the hydrological and thermal deformation in permafrost slopes and engineering infrastructure in the Qinghai–Tibet Engineering Corridor L. Luo et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4035-2021
- Sub-surface processes and heat fluxes at coarse blocky Murtèl rock glacier (Engadine, eastern Swiss Alps): seasonal ice and convective cooling render rock glaciers climate-robust D. Amschwand et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-365-2025
- Application of distributed temperature sensing for mountain permafrost mapping J. Harrington & M. Hayashi https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1997
- PERICLIMv1.0: a model deriving palaeo-air temperatures from thaw depth in past permafrost regions T. Uxa et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-1865-2021
- The state and future of the cryosphere in Central Asia M. Barandun et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasec.2020.100072
- Deciphering the evolution of the Bleis Marscha rock glacier (Val d'Err, eastern Switzerland) with cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating, aerial image correlation, and finite element modeling D. Amschwand et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2057-2021
- Simulating the effect of subsurface drainage on the thermal regime and ground ice in blocky terrain in Norway C. Renette et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-33-2023
- Modeling Conductive Heat Flow Between Steep Rock Walls and Talus Slopes – Thermal Processes and Geomorphological Implications K. Myhra et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00192
- Improved permafrost modelling in mountain environments by including air convection in a hydrological model G. Zegers et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4091-2025
- Modeling the dynamics of evapotranspiration of wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) under different cultivation methods on the Tibetan Plateau J. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.131537
- Towards accurate quantification of ice content in permafrost of the Central Andes – Part 2: An upscaling strategy of geophysical measurements to the catchment scale at two study sites T. Mathys et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2595-2022
- Comprehensive interpretation of the Sedongpu glacier-related mass flows in the eastern Himalayan syntaxis X. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-022-7376-8
- Guidelines for cold‐regions groundwater numerical modeling P. Lamontagne‐Hallé et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1467
- Long-term energy balance measurements at three different mountain permafrost sites in the Swiss Alps M. Hoelzle et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1531-2022
- Post-Little Ice Age rock wall permafrost evolution in Norway J. Czekirda et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2725-2023
- Transient Modelling of Permafrost Distribution in Iceland J. Czekirda et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00130
- A general theory of rock glacier creep based on in‐situ and remote sensing observations A. Cicoira et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.2090
- Water controls the seasonal rhythm of rock glacier flow A. Cicoira et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2019.115844
- Monitoring soil moisture from middle to high elevation in Switzerland: set-up and first results from the SOMOMOUNT network C. Pellet & C. Hauck https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-3199-2017
- The European mountain cryosphere: a review of its current state, trends, and future challenges M. Beniston et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-759-2018
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- Contrasted effects of climate change on low-altitude relict Pinus uncinata stands in the Northern French Alps C. Corona et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41207-021-00280-5
- A Framework for Modeling Rock Glaciers and Permafrost at the Basin‐Scale in High Alpine Catchments L. Pruessner et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020MS002361
- Understanding the mass, momentum, and energy transfer in the frozen soil with three levels of model complexities L. Yu et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-4813-2020
- Rock glaciers and mountain hydrology: A review D. Jones et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2019.04.001
- Multiphysics review of buoyancy driven heat transfer between hydrosphere and atmosphere and its influence on Earth’s climate system A. Aldurayhim et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-026-08677-z
- Experimental study of natural convection and cooling capacity of closed crushed-rock layers affected by summer rainfall in cold regions Y. Lv et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2023.104106
- Slow-moving rock glaciers in marginal periglacial environment of Southern Carpathians A. Onaca et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-981-2025
- Talus rock glaciers in the Cairngorm Mountains C. Ballantyne https://doi.org/10.1080/14702541.2024.2321880
- Long-term monitoring of talus microclimates portrays crevices as critical thermal refuge for vulnerable alpine species A. Ferreira et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2026.2661117
- Near‐surface ventilation as a key for modeling the thermal regime of coarse blocky rock glaciers L. Pruessner et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1978
- Numerical Simulation of Heat Transfer of Porous Rock Layers in Cold Sandy Regions K. Qiu et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14121812
- An overcooled coarse‐grained talus slope at low elevation: New insights on air circulation and environmental impacts, Cannon Cliff, New Hampshire, USA D. Germain & J. Milot https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5792
- Thermal diffusivity of mountain permafrost derived from borehole temperature data in the Swiss Alps S. Weber et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-6727-2025
- Integrated Hydrologic Modelling of Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions in Cold Regions X. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2021.721009
- Experimental study on cooling effect of open crushed-rock layer under the rainfall in summer F. Han et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-024-03582-4
- Surface heat fluxes at coarse blocky Murtèl rock glacier (Engadine, eastern Swiss Alps) D. Amschwand et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2103-2024
- Geographic, hydrological, and climatic significance of rock glaciers in the Great Basin, USA C. Millar & R. Westfall https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2019.1618666
- Impacts of snow cover on the pattern and velocity of air flow in air convection embankments of sub-Arctic regions L. Chen et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2022.09.031
- Long‐term monitoring of sporadic permafrost at the eastern margin of the European Alps (Hochreichart, Seckauer Tauern range, Austria) A. Kellerer‐Pirklbauer https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.2021
- Mountain permafrost degradation documented through a network of permanent electrical resistivity tomography sites C. Mollaret et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2557-2019
- Quantifying Overestimated Permafrost Extent Driven by Rock Glacier Inventory B. Cao et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL092476
- Assessing the role of permafrost in the preconditioning and triggering factors of the September 2020 Crête des Grangettes rockfall (southern French Alps) M. Cathala et al. https://doi.org/10.4000/12yqn
- Spectral induced polarization imaging to investigate an ice-rich mountain permafrost site in Switzerland T. Maierhofer et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1903-2022
- Effect of soil hysteresis on liquid-vapor-air flow in seasonally frozen soils L. Yu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.136002
- Air Convection in the Active Layer of Rock Glaciers J. Wicky & C. Hauck https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2020.00335
54 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Controlling factors of microclimate in blocky surface layers of two nearby relict rock glaciers (Niedere Tauern Range, Austria) T. Wagner et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/04353676.2019.1670950
- Comment on ‘Geophysical approach to the study of a periglacial blockfield in a mountain area (Ztracené kameny, Eastern Sudetes, Czech Republic)’ by T. Uxa et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2018.10.010
- Convective heat transfer of spring meltwater accelerates active layer phase change in Tibet permafrost areas Y. Zhao et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-825-2022
- Soil hydrothermal modeling in a dry alpine agricultural zone: The effect of soil airflow J. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.115354
- Liquid‐Vapor‐Air Flow in the Frozen Soil L. Yu et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD028502
- STEMMUS-UEB v1.0.0: integrated modeling of snowpack and soil water and energy transfer with three complexity levels of soil physical processes L. Yu et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-7345-2021
- Transitional rock glaciers at sea level in northern Norway K. Lilleøren et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-975-2022
- Twenty years of European mountain permafrost dynamics—the PACE legacy B. Etzelmüller et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abae9d
- An integrated observation dataset of the hydrological and thermal deformation in permafrost slopes and engineering infrastructure in the Qinghai–Tibet Engineering Corridor L. Luo et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4035-2021
- Sub-surface processes and heat fluxes at coarse blocky Murtèl rock glacier (Engadine, eastern Swiss Alps): seasonal ice and convective cooling render rock glaciers climate-robust D. Amschwand et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-365-2025
- Application of distributed temperature sensing for mountain permafrost mapping J. Harrington & M. Hayashi https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1997
- PERICLIMv1.0: a model deriving palaeo-air temperatures from thaw depth in past permafrost regions T. Uxa et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-1865-2021
- The state and future of the cryosphere in Central Asia M. Barandun et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasec.2020.100072
- Deciphering the evolution of the Bleis Marscha rock glacier (Val d'Err, eastern Switzerland) with cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating, aerial image correlation, and finite element modeling D. Amschwand et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2057-2021
- Simulating the effect of subsurface drainage on the thermal regime and ground ice in blocky terrain in Norway C. Renette et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-33-2023
- Modeling Conductive Heat Flow Between Steep Rock Walls and Talus Slopes – Thermal Processes and Geomorphological Implications K. Myhra et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00192
- Improved permafrost modelling in mountain environments by including air convection in a hydrological model G. Zegers et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4091-2025
- Modeling the dynamics of evapotranspiration of wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) under different cultivation methods on the Tibetan Plateau J. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.131537
- Towards accurate quantification of ice content in permafrost of the Central Andes – Part 2: An upscaling strategy of geophysical measurements to the catchment scale at two study sites T. Mathys et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2595-2022
- Comprehensive interpretation of the Sedongpu glacier-related mass flows in the eastern Himalayan syntaxis X. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-022-7376-8
- Guidelines for cold‐regions groundwater numerical modeling P. Lamontagne‐Hallé et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1467
- Long-term energy balance measurements at three different mountain permafrost sites in the Swiss Alps M. Hoelzle et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1531-2022
- Post-Little Ice Age rock wall permafrost evolution in Norway J. Czekirda et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2725-2023
- Transient Modelling of Permafrost Distribution in Iceland J. Czekirda et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00130
- A general theory of rock glacier creep based on in‐situ and remote sensing observations A. Cicoira et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.2090
- Water controls the seasonal rhythm of rock glacier flow A. Cicoira et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2019.115844
- Monitoring soil moisture from middle to high elevation in Switzerland: set-up and first results from the SOMOMOUNT network C. Pellet & C. Hauck https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-3199-2017
- The European mountain cryosphere: a review of its current state, trends, and future challenges M. Beniston et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-759-2018
- Research Progress and Paradigm Evolution in Talus Slope Geomorphology: A Bibliometric Analysis Based on Web of Science Q. Du et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/land15061055
- Contrasted effects of climate change on low-altitude relict Pinus uncinata stands in the Northern French Alps C. Corona et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41207-021-00280-5
- A Framework for Modeling Rock Glaciers and Permafrost at the Basin‐Scale in High Alpine Catchments L. Pruessner et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020MS002361
- Understanding the mass, momentum, and energy transfer in the frozen soil with three levels of model complexities L. Yu et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-4813-2020
- Rock glaciers and mountain hydrology: A review D. Jones et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2019.04.001
- Multiphysics review of buoyancy driven heat transfer between hydrosphere and atmosphere and its influence on Earth’s climate system A. Aldurayhim et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-026-08677-z
- Experimental study of natural convection and cooling capacity of closed crushed-rock layers affected by summer rainfall in cold regions Y. Lv et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2023.104106
- Slow-moving rock glaciers in marginal periglacial environment of Southern Carpathians A. Onaca et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-981-2025
- Talus rock glaciers in the Cairngorm Mountains C. Ballantyne https://doi.org/10.1080/14702541.2024.2321880
- Long-term monitoring of talus microclimates portrays crevices as critical thermal refuge for vulnerable alpine species A. Ferreira et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2026.2661117
- Near‐surface ventilation as a key for modeling the thermal regime of coarse blocky rock glaciers L. Pruessner et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1978
- Numerical Simulation of Heat Transfer of Porous Rock Layers in Cold Sandy Regions K. Qiu et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14121812
- An overcooled coarse‐grained talus slope at low elevation: New insights on air circulation and environmental impacts, Cannon Cliff, New Hampshire, USA D. Germain & J. Milot https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5792
- Thermal diffusivity of mountain permafrost derived from borehole temperature data in the Swiss Alps S. Weber et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-6727-2025
- Integrated Hydrologic Modelling of Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions in Cold Regions X. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2021.721009
- Experimental study on cooling effect of open crushed-rock layer under the rainfall in summer F. Han et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-024-03582-4
- Surface heat fluxes at coarse blocky Murtèl rock glacier (Engadine, eastern Swiss Alps) D. Amschwand et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2103-2024
- Geographic, hydrological, and climatic significance of rock glaciers in the Great Basin, USA C. Millar & R. Westfall https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2019.1618666
- Impacts of snow cover on the pattern and velocity of air flow in air convection embankments of sub-Arctic regions L. Chen et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2022.09.031
- Long‐term monitoring of sporadic permafrost at the eastern margin of the European Alps (Hochreichart, Seckauer Tauern range, Austria) A. Kellerer‐Pirklbauer https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.2021
- Mountain permafrost degradation documented through a network of permanent electrical resistivity tomography sites C. Mollaret et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2557-2019
- Quantifying Overestimated Permafrost Extent Driven by Rock Glacier Inventory B. Cao et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL092476
- Assessing the role of permafrost in the preconditioning and triggering factors of the September 2020 Crête des Grangettes rockfall (southern French Alps) M. Cathala et al. https://doi.org/10.4000/12yqn
- Spectral induced polarization imaging to investigate an ice-rich mountain permafrost site in Switzerland T. Maierhofer et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1903-2022
- Effect of soil hysteresis on liquid-vapor-air flow in seasonally frozen soils L. Yu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.136002
- Air Convection in the Active Layer of Rock Glaciers J. Wicky & C. Hauck https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2020.00335
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 31 Aug 2026
Short summary
Talus slopes are a widespread geomorphic feature, which may show permafrost conditions even at low elevation due to cold microclimates induced by a gravity-driven internal air circulation. We show for the first time a numerical simulation of this internal air circulation of a field-scale talus slope. Results indicate that convective heat transfer leads to a pronounced ground cooling in the lower part of the talus slope favoring the persistence of permafrost.
Talus slopes are a widespread geomorphic feature, which may show permafrost conditions even at...
Special issue