the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Brief communication: Combining borehole temperature, borehole piezometer and cross-borehole electrical resistivity tomography measurements to investigate changes in ice-rich mountain permafrost
- 1WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Flüelastrasse 11, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
- 2Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Center CERC, Flüelastrasse 11, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
- 3Department of Geosciences, University of Padova, Via Gradenigo 6, 35131 Padova, Italy
- 1WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Flüelastrasse 11, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
- 2Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Center CERC, Flüelastrasse 11, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
- 3Department of Geosciences, University of Padova, Via Gradenigo 6, 35131 Padova, Italy
Abstract. A novel combination of borehole temperature, borehole piezometer and cross-borehole electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data are used to investigate changing ice-/water contents in the creeping ice-rich Schafberg rock glacier in the Eastern Swiss Alps. Instrumentation techniques and first results are presented. The rock glacier is close to its melting point and has locally heterogeneous stratigraphies, ice-/water contents and temperature regimes. The measurement techniques presented continuously monitor temporal and spatial phase changes to a depth of 12 m and should provide the basis for a better understanding of accelerating rock glacier kinematics and future water availability.
Marcia Phillips et al.
Status: closed
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RC1: 'Comment on tc-2022-165', Anonymous Referee #1, 28 Oct 2022
Over the past decades, Switzerland have been a world leader in the development of measuring and monitoring techniques and research on rock glaciers. This is another contribution in this context. M. Phillips et al. did an excellent job in compiling and presenting promising instrumentation techniques and first results on borehole temperature, borehole piezometer and cross-borehole ERT measurements, aimed to investigate ice-/water contents in an ice-rich rock glacier with heterogeneous characteristics. This short manuscript reads easily and with the inclusion of the few below mentioned suggestions in a revised version of the manuscript, I recommend this brief communication for publication in the TC.
L20: Consider one or two sentences that briefly summarize the major advances related to modern quantitative measurements of geophysical parameters on rock glaciers in the Alps, from e.g. Vonder Mühll and Haeberli (1990) until today.
L23-27: Maybe worth mentioning one or some previous studies on rock glaciers that used similar approach as your study, with a combined application of geophysical techniques with cross-hole experiments (georadar cross-hole tomography). e.g. Maurer et al. 2003., Musil et al. 2006 and Springmann et al. 2012. Although these studies aimed at delineating internal structure and investigating the stability of rock glaciers, there are some relevant findings that could be discussed in light of your results.
L44: The use of “continues measurements” in this respect is somewhat misleading as data presented are only for one day in summer and for one day in mid-winter. Consider rephrase.
L137-138: Is there a citation to backup the statement regarding piezometer data and how ice formation might affect the pressure?
L157-159: Include a couple of sentences with some more details about the future plans for this work and monitoring. What could a more in-depth analysis, and e.g. more data from all seasons and inter-annual variability add to new knowledge?
H.R. Maurer, S.M. Springman, L.U. Arenson, M. Musil, D. Vonder Mühll Characterisation of potentially unstable mountain permafrost — a multidisciplinary approach. Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Permafrost, Zurich, Switzerland (2003), pp. 741-746
Musil, M., Maurer, H.R., Hollinger, H. and Green, A.G., 2006. Internal structure of an alpine rock glacier based on cross hole georadar travel times and amplitudes. Geophysical Prospecting, 54 (3), 273–285.
Springman, S.M., Arenson, L.U., Yamamoto, Y., Maurer, H., Kos, A., Buchli, T. and Derungs, G., 2012. Multidisciplinary investigations on three rock glaciers in the Swiss Alps: legacies and future perspectives. Geographiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 94, 215–243. doi:10.1111/j.1468- 0459.2012.00464.x
Vonder Mühll, D. and Haeberli, W., 1990. Thermal characteristics of the permafrost within an active rock glacier (Murtèl-Corvatsch, Grisons, Swiss Alps). Journal of Glaciology, 34 (123), 151–158.
- AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Marcia Phillips, 21 Dec 2022
-
RC2: 'Comment on tc-2022-165', Anonymous Referee #2, 19 Nov 2022
This brief communication presents a first analyze of newly instrumented boreholes on a rock glacier in Switzerland. This unique combination of instrumentations (cross-hole ERT, piezometers and borehole temperature) aims to investigate ice and water contents in an ice-rich rock glacier and shows very promising first results.
This short communication reads well, and with the inclusion of a few suggestions in a commented attached PDF, I highly recommend to publish in The Cryosphere this unique work, which has a high value for the mountain permafrost community.
- AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Marcia Phillips, 21 Dec 2022
Status: closed
-
RC1: 'Comment on tc-2022-165', Anonymous Referee #1, 28 Oct 2022
Over the past decades, Switzerland have been a world leader in the development of measuring and monitoring techniques and research on rock glaciers. This is another contribution in this context. M. Phillips et al. did an excellent job in compiling and presenting promising instrumentation techniques and first results on borehole temperature, borehole piezometer and cross-borehole ERT measurements, aimed to investigate ice-/water contents in an ice-rich rock glacier with heterogeneous characteristics. This short manuscript reads easily and with the inclusion of the few below mentioned suggestions in a revised version of the manuscript, I recommend this brief communication for publication in the TC.
L20: Consider one or two sentences that briefly summarize the major advances related to modern quantitative measurements of geophysical parameters on rock glaciers in the Alps, from e.g. Vonder Mühll and Haeberli (1990) until today.
L23-27: Maybe worth mentioning one or some previous studies on rock glaciers that used similar approach as your study, with a combined application of geophysical techniques with cross-hole experiments (georadar cross-hole tomography). e.g. Maurer et al. 2003., Musil et al. 2006 and Springmann et al. 2012. Although these studies aimed at delineating internal structure and investigating the stability of rock glaciers, there are some relevant findings that could be discussed in light of your results.
L44: The use of “continues measurements” in this respect is somewhat misleading as data presented are only for one day in summer and for one day in mid-winter. Consider rephrase.
L137-138: Is there a citation to backup the statement regarding piezometer data and how ice formation might affect the pressure?
L157-159: Include a couple of sentences with some more details about the future plans for this work and monitoring. What could a more in-depth analysis, and e.g. more data from all seasons and inter-annual variability add to new knowledge?
H.R. Maurer, S.M. Springman, L.U. Arenson, M. Musil, D. Vonder Mühll Characterisation of potentially unstable mountain permafrost — a multidisciplinary approach. Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Permafrost, Zurich, Switzerland (2003), pp. 741-746
Musil, M., Maurer, H.R., Hollinger, H. and Green, A.G., 2006. Internal structure of an alpine rock glacier based on cross hole georadar travel times and amplitudes. Geophysical Prospecting, 54 (3), 273–285.
Springman, S.M., Arenson, L.U., Yamamoto, Y., Maurer, H., Kos, A., Buchli, T. and Derungs, G., 2012. Multidisciplinary investigations on three rock glaciers in the Swiss Alps: legacies and future perspectives. Geographiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 94, 215–243. doi:10.1111/j.1468- 0459.2012.00464.x
Vonder Mühll, D. and Haeberli, W., 1990. Thermal characteristics of the permafrost within an active rock glacier (Murtèl-Corvatsch, Grisons, Swiss Alps). Journal of Glaciology, 34 (123), 151–158.
- AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Marcia Phillips, 21 Dec 2022
-
RC2: 'Comment on tc-2022-165', Anonymous Referee #2, 19 Nov 2022
This brief communication presents a first analyze of newly instrumented boreholes on a rock glacier in Switzerland. This unique combination of instrumentations (cross-hole ERT, piezometers and borehole temperature) aims to investigate ice and water contents in an ice-rich rock glacier and shows very promising first results.
This short communication reads well, and with the inclusion of a few suggestions in a commented attached PDF, I highly recommend to publish in The Cryosphere this unique work, which has a high value for the mountain permafrost community.
- AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Marcia Phillips, 21 Dec 2022
Marcia Phillips et al.
Marcia Phillips et al.
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