Articles | Volume 11, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-567-2017
© 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-11-567-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
16 Feb 2017
Research article |
| 16 Feb 2017
Quantifying irreversible movement in steep, fractured bedrock permafrost on Matterhorn (CH)
Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Jan Beutel
Computer Engineering and Networks Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Jérome Faillettaz
Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Andreas Hasler
Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
Michael Krautblatter
Landslide Research, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Andreas Vieli
Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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The properties of the permafrost ground depend on its temperature and composition. We used temperature data from 29 boreholes in Switzerland to study how heat moves through different types of mountain permafrost landforms. We found that it depends on where you are, whether there is water in the ground and what time of year it is. Understanding these changes is important because they can affect how stable mountain slopes are and how easy it is to build things in mountain areas.
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Carolin Kiefer, Patrick Oswald, Jasper Moernaut, Stefano Claudio Fabbri, Christoph Mayr, Michael Strasser, and Michael Krautblatter
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Michael Krautblatter, Lutz Schirrmeister, and Josefine Lenz
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Climate warming is causing significant ice surface lowering even in the uppermost parts of alpine glaciers. Using terrestrial lidar, we quantify rockfall in freshly exposed cirque walls. During 6-year monitoring (2011–2017), an extensive dataset was established and over 600 rockfall events identified. Drastically increased rockfall activity following ice retreat can clearly be observed as 60 % of the rockfall volume detached from less than 10 m above the glacier surface.
Ingo Hartmeyer, Markus Keuschnig, Robert Delleske, Michael Krautblatter, Andreas Lang, Lothar Schrott, Günther Prasicek, and Jan-Christoph Otto
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Philipp Mamot, Samuel Weber, Maximilian Lanz, and Michael Krautblatter
The Cryosphere, 14, 1849–1855, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1849-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1849-2020, 2020
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Andrea Walter, Martin P. Lüthi, and Andreas Vieli
The Cryosphere, 14, 1051–1066, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1051-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1051-2020, 2020
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Glacier calving plays a key role in the dynamic mass loss of ocean-terminating glaciers in Greenland. Source areas and volumes of 900 individual calving events were analysed for size and timing related to environmental forcings. We found that calving volume distribution and style vary along the calving front and are controlled by the water depth and front geometry. We suggest that in deep water both oceanic melt and subaquatic calving contribute substantially to the frontal mass loss.
Guillaume Jouvet, Eef van Dongen, Martin P. Lüthi, and Andreas Vieli
Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst., 9, 1–10, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-9-1-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-9-1-2020, 2020
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We report the first-ever in situ measurements of ice flow motion using a remotely controlled drone. We used a quadcopter to land on a highly crevassed area of Eqip Sermia Glacier, Greenland. The drone measured 70 cm of ice displacement over more than 4 h thanks to an accurate onboard GPS. Our study demonstrates that drones have great potential for geoscientists, especially to deploy sensors in hostile environments such as glaciers.
Christoph Rohner, David Small, Jan Beutel, Daniel Henke, Martin P. Lüthi, and Andreas Vieli
The Cryosphere, 13, 2953–2975, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2953-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2953-2019, 2019
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The recent increase in ice flow and calving rates of ocean–terminating glaciers contributes substantially to the mass loss of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Using in situ reference observations, we validate the satellite–based method of iterative offset tracking of Sentinel–1A data for deriving flow speeds. Our investigations highlight the importance of spatial resolution near the fast–flowing calving front, resulting in significantly higher ice velocities compared to large–scale operational products.
Samuel Weber, Jan Beutel, Reto Da Forno, Alain Geiger, Stephan Gruber, Tonio Gsell, Andreas Hasler, Matthias Keller, Roman Lim, Philippe Limpach, Matthias Meyer, Igor Talzi, Lothar Thiele, Christian Tschudin, Andreas Vieli, Daniel Vonder Mühll, and Mustafa Yücel
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We developed a new strategy for real-time early warning of
gravity-driven slope failures (such as landslides, rockfalls, glacier break-off, etc.). This method enables us to investigate natural slope stability based on continuous monitoring and interpretation of seismic waves generated by the potential instability. Thanks to a pilot experiment, we detected typical patterns of precursory events prior to slide events, demonstrating the potential of this method for real-word applications.
Nico Mölg, Tobias Bolch, Andrea Walter, and Andreas Vieli
The Cryosphere, 13, 1889–1909, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1889-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1889-2019, 2019
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Debris can partly protect glaciers from melting. But many debris-covered glaciers change similar to debris-free glaciers. To better understand the debris influence we investigated 150 years of evolution of Zmutt Glacier in Switzerland. We found an increase in debris extent over time and a link to glacier flow velocity changes. We also found an influence of debris on the melt locally, but only a small volume change reduction over the whole glacier, also because of the influence of ice cliffs.
Alessandro Cicoira, Jan Beutel, Jérome Faillettaz, Isabelle Gärtner-Roer, and Andreas Vieli
The Cryosphere, 13, 927–942, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-927-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-927-2019, 2019
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Rock glacier flow varies on multiple timescales. The variations have been linked to climatic forcing, but a quantitative understanding is still missing.
We use a 1-D numerical modelling approach coupling heat conduction to a creep model in order to study the influence of temperature variations on rock glacier flow. Our results show that heat conduction alone cannot explain the observed variations. Other processes, likely linked to water, must dominate the short-term velocity signal.
Matthias Meyer, Samuel Weber, Jan Beutel, and Lothar Thiele
Earth Surf. Dynam., 7, 171–190, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-171-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-171-2019, 2019
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Monitoring rock slopes for a long time helps to understand the impact of climate change on the alpine environment. Measurements of seismic signals are often affected by external influences, e.g., unwanted anthropogenic noise. In the presented work, these influences are automatically identified and removed to enable proper geoscientific analysis. The methods presented are based on machine learning and intentionally kept generic so that they can be equally applied in other (more generic) settings.
Philipp Mamot, Samuel Weber, Tanja Schröder, and Michael Krautblatter
The Cryosphere, 12, 3333–3353, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3333-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3333-2018, 2018
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Most of the observed failures in permafrost-affected alpine rock walls are likely triggered by the mechanical destabilisation of warming bedrock permafrost including ice-filled joints. We present a systematic study of the brittle shear failure of ice and rock–ice contacts along rock joints in a simulated depth ≤ 30 m and at temperatures from −10 to −0.5 °C. Warming and sudden reduction in rock overburden due to the detachment of an upper rock mass lead to a significant drop in shear resistance.
Rémy Mercenier, Martin P. Lüthi, and Andreas Vieli
The Cryosphere, 12, 721–739, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-721-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-721-2018, 2018
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This study investigates the effect of geometrical properties on the stress state and flow regime in the vicinity of the calving front of grounded tidewater glaciers. Our analysis shows that the stress state for simple geometries can be determined solely by the water depth relative to ice thickness. This scaled relationship allows for a simple parametrization to predict calving rates of grounded tidewater glaciers that is simple, physics-based and in good agreement with observations.
Wen Nie, Michael Krautblatter, Kerry Leith, Kurosch Thuro, and Judith Festl
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 1595–1610, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-17-1595-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-17-1595-2017, 2017
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Deep-seated landslides are an important and widespread natural hazard within alpine regions and can have a massive impact on infrastructure. Pore water pressure plays an important role in determining the stability of hydro-triggered deep-seated landslides. Here we demonstrate a modified tank model for deep-seated landslides that includes snow and infiltration effects and can effectively predict changes in pore water pressure in alpine environments.
Florian Frank, Brian W. McArdell, Nicole Oggier, Patrick Baer, Marc Christen, and Andreas Vieli
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 801–815, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-17-801-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-17-801-2017, 2017
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This study describes a sensitivity analysis of the RAMMS debris-flow entrainment model, which is intended to help solve problems related to predicting the runout of debris flows. The results indicate that the entrainment model predicts plausible erosion volumes in comparison with field data. These eroded volumes are sensitive to the initial landslide volume, suggesting that this tool may be useful for both reconstruction of historical events and modeling of debris flow scenarios.
Johann Müller, Andreas Vieli, and Isabelle Gärtner-Roer
The Cryosphere, 10, 2865–2886, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2865-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2865-2016, 2016
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Rock glaciers are landforms indicative of permafrost creep and received considerable attention concerning their dynamical and thermal changes. We use a holistic approach to analyze and model the current and long-term dynamical development of two rock glaciers in the Swiss Alps. The modeling results show the impact of variations in temperature and sediment–ice supply on rock glacier evolution and describe proceeding signs of degradation due to climate warming.
Jérome Faillettaz, Martin Funk, and Marco Vagliasindi
The Cryosphere, 10, 1191–1200, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1191-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1191-2016, 2016
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The break-off of a cold hanging glacier could be successfully predicted 10 days in advance thanks to very accurate surface displacement measurements taken right up to the final event.
This break-off event also confirmed that surface displacements experience a power law acceleration along with superimposed log-periodic oscillations prior to the final rupture.
This paper describes the methods used to achieve a satisfactory time forecast in real time.
Martin P. Lüthi and Andreas Vieli
The Cryosphere, 10, 995–1002, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-995-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-995-2016, 2016
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Glaciers flowing into the ocean sometimes release huge pieces of ice and
cause violent tsunami waves which, upon landfall, can cause severe
destruction. During an exceptionally well-documented event at Eqip Sermia,
west Greenland, the collapse of a 200 m high ice cliff caused a tsunami wave
of 50 m height, traveling at a speed exceeding 100 km h−1. This tsunami wave
was filmed from a tour boat, and was simultaneously observed with several
instruments, as was the run-up of 15 m on the shore.
V. Wirz, S. Gruber, R. S. Purves, J. Beutel, I. Gärtner-Roer, S. Gubler, and A. Vieli
Earth Surf. Dynam., 4, 103–123, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-103-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-103-2016, 2016
F. Frank, B. W. McArdell, C. Huggel, and A. Vieli
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 2569–2583, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-15-2569-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-15-2569-2015, 2015
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The sudden onset of large and erosive debris flows has been observed recently in different catchments in Switzerland, implicating the importance of erosion for debris flow modelling. Therefore, an erosion model was established based on field data (relationship between maximum shear stress and erosion depth and rate) of several debris flows measured at the Illgraben. Erosion model tests at the Spreitgraben showed considerable improvements in runout pattern as well as hydrograph propagation.
E. M. Enderlin, I. M. Howat, and A. Vieli
The Cryosphere, 7, 1579–1590, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1579-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1579-2013, 2013
E. M. Enderlin, I. M. Howat, and A. Vieli
The Cryosphere, 7, 1007–1015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1007-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1007-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Mountain Processes
Quantifying frost-weathering-induced damage in alpine rocks
Subgridding high-resolution numerical weather forecast in the Canadian Selkirk mountain range for local snow modeling in a remote sensing perspective
Rapid warming and degradation of mountain permafrost in Norway and Iceland
Improving climate model skill over High Mountain Asia by adapting snow cover parameterization to complex-topography areas
Brief communication: How deep is the snow on Mount Everest?
Snow sensitivity to temperature and precipitation change during compound cold–hot and wet–dry seasons in the Pyrenees
Mountain permafrost in the Central Pyrenees: insights from the Devaux ice cave
Glacier–permafrost relations in a high-mountain environment: 5 decades of kinematic monitoring at the Gruben site, Swiss Alps
Multi-scale snowdrift-permitting modelling of mountain snowpack
How much snow falls in the world's mountains? A first look at mountain snowfall estimates in A-train observations and reanalyses
Brief communication: The influence of mica-rich rocks on the shear strength of ice-filled discontinuities
Resolving the influence of temperature forcing through heat conduction on rock glacier dynamics: a numerical modelling approach
A temperature- and stress-controlled failure criterion for ice-filled permafrost rock joints
How much cryosphere model complexity is just right? Exploration using the conceptual cryosphere hydrology framework
Small-scale variation of snow in a regional permafrost model
Meteorological, elevation, and slope effects on surface hoar formation
Verification of analysed and forecasted winter precipitation in complex terrain
Soil erosion and organic carbon export by wet snow avalanches
Simulation of wind-induced snow transport and sublimation in alpine terrain using a fully coupled snowpack/atmosphere model
Influence of surface and subsurface heterogeneity on observed borehole temperatures at a mountain permafrost site in the Upper Engadine, Swiss Alps
The mass and energy balance of ice within the Eisriesenwelt cave, Austria
Rapid changes of the ice mass configuration in the dynamic Diablotins ice cave – Fribourg Prealps, Switzerland
Till Mayer, Maxim Deprez, Laurenz Schröer, Veerle Cnudde, and Daniel Draebing
The Cryosphere, 18, 2847–2864, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2847-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2847-2024, 2024
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Frost weathering drives rockfall and shapes the evolution of alpine landscapes. We employed a novel combination of investigation techniques to assess the influence of different climatic conditions on high-alpine rock faces. Our results imply that rock walls exposed to freeze–thaw conditions, which are likely to occur at lower elevations, will weather more rapidly than rock walls exposed to sustained freezing conditions due to winter snow cover or permafrost at higher elevations.
Paul Billecocq, Alexandre Langlois, and Benoit Montpetit
The Cryosphere, 18, 2765–2782, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2765-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2765-2024, 2024
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Snow covers a vast part of the globe, making snow water equivalent (SWE) crucial for climate science and hydrology. SWE can be inversed from satellite data, but the snow's complex structure highly affects the signal, and thus an educated first guess is mandatory. In this study, a subgridding framework was developed to model snow at the local scale from model weather data. The framework enhanced snow parameter modeling, paving the way for SWE inversion algorithms from satellite data.
Bernd Etzelmüller, Ketil Isaksen, Justyna Czekirda, Sebastian Westermann, Christin Hilbich, and Christian Hauck
The Cryosphere, 17, 5477–5497, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5477-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5477-2023, 2023
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Permafrost (permanently frozen ground) is widespread in the mountains of Norway and Iceland. Several boreholes were drilled after 1999 for long-term permafrost monitoring. We document a strong warming of permafrost, including the development of unfrozen bodies in the permafrost. Warming and degradation of mountain permafrost may lead to more natural hazards.
Mickaël Lalande, Martin Ménégoz, Gerhard Krinner, Catherine Ottlé, and Frédérique Cheruy
The Cryosphere, 17, 5095–5130, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5095-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5095-2023, 2023
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This study investigates the impact of topography on snow cover parameterizations using models and observations. Parameterizations without topography-based considerations overestimate snow cover. Incorporating topography reduces snow overestimation by 5–10 % in mountains, in turn reducing cold biases. However, some biases remain, requiring further calibration and more data. Assessing snow cover parameterizations is challenging due to limited and uncertain data in mountainous regions.
Wei Yang, Huabiao Zhao, Baiqing Xu, Jiule Li, Weicai Wang, Guangjian Wu, Zhongyan Wang, and Tandong Yao
The Cryosphere, 17, 2625–2628, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2625-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2625-2023, 2023
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There is very strong scientific and public interest regarding the snow thickness on Mountain Everest. Previously reported snow depths derived by different methods and instruments ranged from 0.92 to 3.5 m. Our measurements in 2022 provide the first clear radar image of the snowpack at the top of Mount Everest. The snow thickness at Earth's summit was averaged to be 9.5 ± 1.2 m. This updated snow thickness is considerably deeper than values reported during the past 5 decades.
Josep Bonsoms, Juan Ignacio López-Moreno, and Esteban Alonso-González
The Cryosphere, 17, 1307–1326, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1307-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1307-2023, 2023
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This work analyzes the snow response to temperature and precipitation in the Pyrenees. During warm and wet seasons, seasonal snow depth is expected to be reduced by −37 %, −34 %, and −27 % per degree Celsius at low-, mid-, and high-elevation areas, respectively. The largest snow reductions are anticipated at low elevations of the eastern Pyrenees. Results anticipate important impacts on the nearby ecological and socioeconomic systems.
Miguel Bartolomé, Gérard Cazenave, Marc Luetscher, Christoph Spötl, Fernando Gázquez, Ánchel Belmonte, Alexandra V. Turchyn, Juan Ignacio López-Moreno, and Ana Moreno
The Cryosphere, 17, 477–497, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-477-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-477-2023, 2023
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In this work we study the microclimate and the geomorphological features of Devaux ice cave in the Central Pyrenees. The research is based on cave monitoring, geomorphology, and geochemical analyses. We infer two different thermal regimes. The cave is impacted by flooding in late winter/early spring when the main outlets freeze, damming the water inside. Rock temperatures below 0°C and the absence of drip water indicate frozen rock, while relict ice formations record past damming events.
Isabelle Gärtner-Roer, Nina Brunner, Reynald Delaloye, Wilfried Haeberli, Andreas Kääb, and Patrick Thee
The Cryosphere, 16, 2083–2101, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2083-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2083-2022, 2022
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We intensely investigated the Gruben site in the Swiss Alps, where glaciers and permafrost landforms closely interact, to better understand cold-climate environments. By the interpretation of air photos from 5 decades, we describe long-term developments of the existing landforms. In combination with high-resolution positioning measurements and ground surface temperatures, we were also able to link these to short-term changes and describe different landform responses to climate forcing.
Vincent Vionnet, Christopher B. Marsh, Brian Menounos, Simon Gascoin, Nicholas E. Wayand, Joseph Shea, Kriti Mukherjee, and John W. Pomeroy
The Cryosphere, 15, 743–769, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-743-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-743-2021, 2021
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Mountain snow cover provides critical supplies of fresh water to downstream users. Its accurate prediction requires inclusion of often-ignored processes. A multi-scale modelling strategy is presented that efficiently accounts for snow redistribution. Model accuracy is assessed via airborne lidar and optical satellite imagery. With redistribution the model captures the elevation–snow depth relation. Redistribution processes are required to reproduce spatial variability, such as around ridges.
Anne Sophie Daloz, Marian Mateling, Tristan L'Ecuyer, Mark Kulie, Norm B. Wood, Mikael Durand, Melissa Wrzesien, Camilla W. Stjern, and Ashok P. Dimri
The Cryosphere, 14, 3195–3207, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3195-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3195-2020, 2020
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The total of snow that falls globally is a critical factor governing freshwater availability. To better understand how this resource is impacted by climate change, we need to know how reliable the current observational datasets for snow are. Here, we compare five datasets looking at the snow falling over the mountains versus the other continents. We show that there is a large consensus when looking at fractional contributions but strong dissimilarities when comparing magnitudes.
Philipp Mamot, Samuel Weber, Maximilian Lanz, and Michael Krautblatter
The Cryosphere, 14, 1849–1855, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1849-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1849-2020, 2020
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A failure criterion for ice-filled rock joints is a prerequisite to accurately assess the stability of permafrost rock slopes. In 2018 a failure criterion was proposed based on limestone. Now, we tested the transferability to other rocks using mica schist and gneiss which provide the maximum expected deviation of lithological effects on the shear strength. We show that even for controversial rocks the failure criterion stays unaltered, suggesting that it is applicable to mostly all rock types.
Alessandro Cicoira, Jan Beutel, Jérome Faillettaz, Isabelle Gärtner-Roer, and Andreas Vieli
The Cryosphere, 13, 927–942, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-927-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-927-2019, 2019
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Rock glacier flow varies on multiple timescales. The variations have been linked to climatic forcing, but a quantitative understanding is still missing.
We use a 1-D numerical modelling approach coupling heat conduction to a creep model in order to study the influence of temperature variations on rock glacier flow. Our results show that heat conduction alone cannot explain the observed variations. Other processes, likely linked to water, must dominate the short-term velocity signal.
Philipp Mamot, Samuel Weber, Tanja Schröder, and Michael Krautblatter
The Cryosphere, 12, 3333–3353, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3333-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3333-2018, 2018
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Most of the observed failures in permafrost-affected alpine rock walls are likely triggered by the mechanical destabilisation of warming bedrock permafrost including ice-filled joints. We present a systematic study of the brittle shear failure of ice and rock–ice contacts along rock joints in a simulated depth ≤ 30 m and at temperatures from −10 to −0.5 °C. Warming and sudden reduction in rock overburden due to the detachment of an upper rock mass lead to a significant drop in shear resistance.
Thomas M. Mosier, David F. Hill, and Kendra V. Sharp
The Cryosphere, 10, 2147–2171, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2147-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2147-2016, 2016
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Our paper presents the Conceptual Cryosphere Hydrology Framework (CCHF), a tool to enable more rapid development and intercomparison of cryosphere process representations. Using the CCHF, we demonstrate that some common existing degree index cryosphere models are not well suited for assessing impacts across climates, even though these models appear to perform well under a common evaluation strategy. We show that more robust models can be formulated without increasing data input requirements.
Kjersti Gisnås, Sebastian Westermann, Thomas Vikhamar Schuler, Kjetil Melvold, and Bernd Etzelmüller
The Cryosphere, 10, 1201–1215, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1201-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1201-2016, 2016
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In wind exposed areas snow redistribution results in large spatial variability in ground temperatures. In these areas, the ground temperature of a grid cell must be determined based on the distribution, and not the average, of snow depths. We employ distribution functions of snow in a regional permafrost model, showing highly improved representation of ground temperatures. By including snow distributions, we find the permafrost area to be nearly twice as large as what is modelled without.
S. Horton, M. Schirmer, and B. Jamieson
The Cryosphere, 9, 1523–1533, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1523-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1523-2015, 2015
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We investigate how various meteorological and terrain factors affect surface hoar formation in complex terrain. We modelled the distribution of three surface hoar layers with a coupled NWP - snow cover model, and verified the model with field studies. The layers developed in regions and elevation bands with warm moist air, light winds, and cold snow surfaces. Possible avalanche forecasting applications are discussed.
M. Schirmer and B. Jamieson
The Cryosphere, 9, 587–601, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-587-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-587-2015, 2015
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Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models are rarely verified for mountainous regions during the winter season, although avalanche forecasters and other decision makers frequently rely on NWP models. We verified two NWP models (GEM-LAM and GEM15) and a precipitation analysis system (CaPA) at approximately 100 stations in the mountains of western Canada and northwestern USA. Ultrasonic snow depth sensors and snow pillows were used to observe daily precipitation amounts.
O. Korup and C. Rixen
The Cryosphere, 8, 651–658, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-651-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-651-2014, 2014
V. Vionnet, E. Martin, V. Masson, G. Guyomarc'h, F. Naaim-Bouvet, A. Prokop, Y. Durand, and C. Lac
The Cryosphere, 8, 395–415, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-395-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-395-2014, 2014
S. Schneider, M. Hoelzle, and C. Hauck
The Cryosphere, 6, 517–531, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-517-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-517-2012, 2012
F. Obleitner and C. Spötl
The Cryosphere, 5, 245–257, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-245-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-245-2011, 2011
S. Morard, M. Bochud, and R. Delaloye
The Cryosphere, 4, 489–500, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-4-489-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-4-489-2010, 2010
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Short summary
We present a 8-year continuous time series of measured fracture kinematics and thermal conditions on steep permafrost bedrock at Hörnligrat, Matterhorn. Based on this unique dataset and a conceptual model for strong fractured bedrock, we develop a novel quantitative approach that allows to separate reversible from irreversible fracture kinematics and assign the dominant forcing. A new index of irreversibility provides useful indication for the occurrence and timing of irreversible displacements.
We present a 8-year continuous time series of measured fracture kinematics and thermal...
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