Articles | Volume 18, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5153-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5153-2024
Research article
 | 
14 Nov 2024
Research article |  | 14 Nov 2024

Massive mobilization of toxic elements from an intact rock glacier in the central Eastern Alps

Hoda Moradi, Gerhard Furrer, Michael Margreth, David Mair, and Christoph Wanner

Data sets

Massive mobilization of toxic elements from an intact rock glacier in the Central Eastern Alps Hoda Moradi et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10558549

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Short summary
Detailed monitoring of a rock glacier spring in the Eastern Alps showed that more than 1 tonne of toxic solutes, such as aluminum, nickel, and manganese, is mobilized each year from a small permafrost area. The strong mobilization is caused by rock weathering and long-term accumulation of toxic solutes in permafrost ice. Today, climate-change-induced permafrost degradation leads to a quick and focused export in summer. This forms an unexpected, novel hazard for alpine and high-latitude areas.