Articles | Volume 12, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3333-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3333-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
17 Oct 2018
Research article |
| 17 Oct 2018
| 17 Oct 2018
A temperature- and stress-controlled failure criterion for ice-filled permafrost rock joints
Philipp Mamot
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Landslide Research, Technical University of Munich, 80333
Munich, Germany
Samuel Weber
Department of Geography, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich,
Switzerland
Computer Engineering and Networks Laboratory, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich,
Switzerland
Tanja Schröder
Department of Landslide Research, Technical University of Munich, 80333
Munich, Germany
Michael Krautblatter
Department of Landslide Research, Technical University of Munich, 80333
Munich, Germany
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Short summary
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.
Most of the observed failures in permafrost-affected alpine rock walls are likely triggered by...
