Slope failures and erosion rates on a glacierized high-mountain face under climatic changes

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)



Description :
The study was conducted at one of the highest periglacial rock faces in the European Alps, the east face of Monte Rosa, Italy. Pronounced changes in ice cover and repeated rock and ice avalanche events have been documented in this rock wall since around 1990. The performed multi-temporal comparison of high-resolution digital terrain models (DTMs) complemented by detailed analyses of repeat photography represents a unique assessment of topographic changes and slope failures over half a century and reveals a great volume loss in bedrock and steep glaciers in the central part of the face between 1988 and 2007. The high rock and ice avalanche activity translates into an increase in erosion rates of about one order of magnitude during recent decades.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Earth surface processes and landforms, issn : 0197-9337, 2013, vol. 38, n°. 8, p. 836-846, nombre de pages : 11, Références bibliographiques : 2 p.

Date :
2013

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, Chichester, Wiley