scholarly journals Impact of atmospheric warming on permafrost degradation and debris flow initiation: A case study from the eastern European Alps

2013 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bodo Damm ◽  
Astrid Felderer

Abstract. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird die Bedeutung der Erwärmung der Kryosphäre seit dem Ende der Kleinen Eiszeit (LIA) für die räumliche Verbreitung von Muranrissen in einem zentralalpinen Gebiet der Ostalpen untersucht. Vor dem Hintergrund der atmosphärischen Erwärmung verursachte hier insbesondere die Degradation von Permafrost bodenmechanische Instabilitäten. Im Untersuchungsgebiet, dem Naturpark Rieserferner-Ahrn in Südtirol lässt sich zeigen, dass mehr als die Hälfte der Muranrisse in Lockergesteinen auftreten, unter anderem in Moränen- und Hangschuttablagerungen, die vor rund 150 Jahren noch durch Gletschereis und Permafrost stabilisiert waren.

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 3075-3090 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Y. Hussin ◽  
B. Quan Luna ◽  
C. J. van Westen ◽  
M. Christen ◽  
J.-P. Malet ◽  
...  

Abstract. The occurrence of debris flows has been recorded for more than a century in the European Alps, accounting for the risk to settlements and other human infrastructure that have led to death, building damage and traffic disruptions. One of the difficulties in the quantitative hazard assessment of debris flows is estimating the run-out behavior, which includes the run-out distance and the related hazard intensities like the height and velocity of a debris flow. In addition, as observed in the French Alps, the process of entrainment of material during the run-out can be 10–50 times in volume with respect to the initially mobilized mass triggered at the source area. The entrainment process is evidently an important factor that can further determine the magnitude and intensity of debris flows. Research on numerical modeling of debris flow entrainment is still ongoing and involves some difficulties. This is partly due to our lack of knowledge of the actual process of the uptake and incorporation of material and due the effect of entrainment on the final behavior of a debris flow. Therefore, it is important to model the effects of this key erosional process on the formation of run-outs and related intensities. In this study we analyzed a debris flow with high entrainment rates that occurred in 2003 at the Faucon catchment in the Barcelonnette Basin (Southern French Alps). The historic event was back-analyzed using the Voellmy rheology and an entrainment model imbedded in the RAMMS 2-D numerical modeling software. A sensitivity analysis of the rheological and entrainment parameters was carried out and the effects of modeling with entrainment on the debris flow run-out, height and velocity were assessed.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Wang ◽  
Ningsheng Chen ◽  
Guisheng Hu ◽  
Yong Zhang ◽  
Genxu Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Mount Gonggais located in the east of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau; many debris flows have occurred in small basins with a small glacier cover or snow cover in this area. The hydrometeorological conditions that caused debris flows in this region are complex, making forecasting and early warning difficult. Previous studies for these small-glacial-covered basins have primarily considered rainfall as the only inducing factor of debris flows, and often the effects of temperature are neglected. Thus, we carried out a probabilistic analysis of variables derived from hydrometeorological factors for the Mount Gongga region, Sichuan, China, where debris flows were recorded on 14 days between 1988 and 2019. By analyzing hydrological characteristics when debris flows occurred, three distinct dominant trigger types could be identified. The results show that 7 (50%) of the observed debris flow events during the study period, high-intensity rainfall was the dominant trigger, snowmelt by high temperature was identified as the dominant trigger for 2 (14%). Furthermore, 5 (36%) debris flow events could be attributed to the combined effects of long-lasting (or short-medium) rainfall and sustained higher temperatures. We find that the differences between the trigger types are statistically significant, and a susceptibility prediction differentiating between trigger types can outperform simple rainfall-only situations. This study contributes to an improved understanding of the hydrometeorological impact on debris flow initiation in high elevation watersheds.


2011 ◽  
Vol 05 (05) ◽  
pp. 493-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
NING-SHENG CHEN ◽  
GUI-SHENG HU ◽  
MING-FENG DENG ◽  
WEI ZHOU ◽  
CHENG-LIN YANG ◽  
...  

This paper describes a study about the impact of earthquakes on debris flows with a focus on the Great Wenchuan Earthquake 2008 in China. The land form, precipitation, and source material are the three key factors for debris flow initiation in the Wenchuan surrounding area. Classifications and examples of four types of debris flow initiation triggering (gully triggering, slope triggering, liquefaction triggering, and gully erosion triggering) have been presented. The initiation mechanisms are attributed to hydraulic and geomechanical aspects. The actual debris flow cases linked with the Great Wenchuan Earthquake and other earthquakes in China have been used to illustrate the increased magnitudes of debris flows due to a large amount of loose materials created by the seismic actions. The critical precipitation for debris flows is reduced by the earthquake. It is predicted that the impact of the Great Wenchuan Earthquake on the local debris flows would be significant in the next 5–6 years, and much less in the following years (up to 20 years). Finally, the debris flow system will reach a relative stable stage. This prediction is based on the historical observations at other earthquake areas and the qualitative analysis on debris flow initiation mechanisms.


Arts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Izabela Kozłowska ◽  
Eryk Krasucki

Central and Eastern European countries were subjugated to the Soviet Union in the second half of the 20th century. In this new political environment, defined as the period of dependency, the concept of space gained a new denotation as a space of dependence, in both social and physical terms. The political changes that took place after 1989 enabled these spaces to be emancipated. In this work, we aim to delineate the complex relationship between architecture and politics from the perspective of spaces of dependence and their emancipation. Through a case study of two squares, plac Żołnierza Polskiego (the Square of the Polish Soldier) and plac Solidarności (Solidarity Square) in Szczecin, we gained insights into the processes and strategies that promoted their evolution into spaces of emancipation within architectural and urban narratives. Szczecin’s space of dependence was created by an authoritarian state that had a monopoly on defining architecture and urban planning in the country and the state as a whole. In a process orchestrated by economic factors, as well as the scale of architectural and urban degradation, the squares under discussion have transitioned from spaces of dependency to spaces of emancipation. As a result, an architectural-urban structure characterized by new cultural and identity values has been created.


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