scholarly journals Transient thermal effects in Alpine permafrost

2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Noetzli ◽  
S. Gruber
Keyword(s):  
Thermal State ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Complex Topography ◽  
Transient Effects ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
The Past ◽  
Numerical Experimentation

Abstract. In high mountain areas, permafrost is important because it influences natural hazards and construction practices, and because it is an indicator of climate change. The modeling of its distribution and evolution over time is complicated by steep and complex topography, highly variable conditions at and below the surface, and varying climatic conditions. This paper presents a systematic investigation of effects of climate variability and topography that are important for subsurface temperatures in Alpine permafrost areas. The effects of both past and projected future ground surface temperature variations on the thermal state of Alpine permafrost are studied based on numerical experimentation with simplified mountain topography. For this purpose, we use a surface energy balance model together with a subsurface heat conduction scheme. The past climate variations that essentially influence the present-day permafrost temperatures at depth are the last glacial period and the major fluctuations in the past millennium. The influence of projected future warming was assessed to cause even larger transient effects in the subsurface thermal field because warming occurs on shorter time scales. Results further demonstrate the accelerating influence of multi-lateral warming in Alpine topography for a temperature signal entering the subsurface. The effects of thermal properties, porosity, and freezing characteristics were examined in sensitivity studies. A considerable influence of latent heat due to water in low-porosity bedrock was only shown for simulations over shorter time periods (i.e., decades to centuries). Finally, as an example of a real and complex topography, the modeled transient three-dimensional temperature distribution in the Matterhorn (Switzerland) is given for today and in 200 years.

scholarly journals Transient thermal effects in Alpine permafrost

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Noetzli ◽  
S. Gruber
Keyword(s):  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Transient Effects ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Past Climate ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Numerical Experimentation ◽  
Time Periods

Abstract. In high mountain areas, permafrost is important because it influences the occurrence of natural hazards, because it has to be considered in construction practices, and because it is sensitive to climate change. The assessment of its distribution and evolution is challenging because of highly variable conditions at and below the surface, steep topography and varying climatic conditions. This paper presents a systematic investigation of effects of topography and climate variability that are important for subsurface temperatures in Alpine bedrock permafrost. We studied the effects of both, past and projected future ground surface temperature variations on the basis of numerical experimentation with simplified mountain topography in order to demonstrate the principal effects. The modeling approach applied combines a distributed surface energy balance model and a three-dimensional subsurface heat conduction scheme. Results show that the past climate variations that essentially influence present-day permafrost temperatures at depth of the idealized mountains are the last glacial period and the major fluctuations in the past millennium. Transient effects from projected future warming, however, are likely larger than those from past climate conditions because larger temperature changes at the surface occur in shorter time periods. We further demonstrate the accelerating influence of multi-lateral warming in steep and complex topography for a temperature signal entering the subsurface as compared to the situation in flat areas. The effects of varying and uncertain material properties (i.e., thermal properties, porosity, and freezing characteristics) on the subsurface temperature field were examined in sensitivity studies. A considerable influence of latent heat due to water in low-porosity bedrock was only shown for simulations over time periods of decades to centuries. At the end, the model was applied to the topographic setting of the Matterhorn (Switzerland). Results from idealized geometries are compared to this first example of real topography, and possibilities as well as limitations of the model application are discussed.

scholarly journals Chromosomal Q-Heterochromatin and Atherosclerosis

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 143
Author(s):  
A. I. Ibraimov
Keyword(s):  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Causative Factor ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Biological Species ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Blood Temperature

We suppose that at study of the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, it is possible that some evolutionary aspects of the problem are missed. This aspect is related to the peculiarity of human adaptation to climatic geographic conditions of Eurasia, which differ significantly from the climate of East Africa, where Homo sapiens was formed as a tropical biological species and so it has remained to this day. A hypothesis has been put forward that the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is associated with some previously unknown features of the genome and the physical properties of the human body that arose in the process of its adaptation to a mild and cold climate. These adaptive genetic changes that have contributed to the development (settling) by Homo sapiens of non-tropical, including cold and high mountain areas of the Earth, resulted to the fact that a man became the single species vulnerable (predisposed) to atherosclerosis.Atherosclerosis is apparently a purely human disease that appeared after adaptation of man to climatic conditions of temperate and northern latitudes of the northern hemisphere. The type of vessels (arteries or veins) and the site of their lumen have no role in the development of atherosclerotic changes. The primary and main causative factor in the development of atherosclerosis is blood temperature. The degree of blood cooling in the lungs depends on geographical latitudes and altitude above sea-level of the site of permanent residence of man. The preclinical stage of atherosclerosis may develop into a pathological form predominantly in individuals in the genome of which the amount of chromosomal Q-heterochromatin material is higher than its mean value per individual in the population.

A high-resolution multi-phase thermo-geophysical permafrost rock model to verify long-term ERT monitoring at the Zugspitze (German/Austrian Alps)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanja Schroeder ◽  
Michael Krautblatter
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Resistivity ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Thermal Regime ◽  
Thermal Evolution ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Permafrost Degradation ◽  
Complex Topography ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Permafrost Rock

<div> <p><span>In the context of climate change, permafrost degradation is a key variable in understanding rock slope failures in high mountain areas. Permafrost degradation imposes a variety of environmental, economic and humanitarian impacts on infrastructure and people in high mountain areas. Therefore, new high-quality monitoring and modelling strategies are needed.</span></p> </div><div> <p><span>We developed a new, numerical, thermo-geophysical rock permafrost model (TGRPM) to assess spatial-temporal variations of the ground thermal regime in steep permafrost rock walls on the basis of 13-years of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) monitoring of permafrost at the Zugspitze. TGRPM is a simple to understand and workable numerical 2D MATLAB-model, which is adaptable to different topographic and sub-surface conditions, and further relies on a minimum of input-data to assess the surface energy balance and the ground thermal regime. It simulates the thermal response for permafrost rock walls, including their complex topography, to climate forcing over multiple years. It aims to assess seasonal and long-term permafrost development in steep alpine rock walls, as well as serving as a straightforward calculation routine, which is solely based on physical processes and does not require any fitting of certain parameters. </span></p> </div><div> <p><span>At first, the model was tested against direct temperature measurements from the LfU-borehole at the Zugspitze summit to prove its accuracy. Then, it is run against a 13-year ERT data-set from the Zugspitze Kammstollen to validate the ERT measurements.</span></p> </div><div> <p><span>Here, we show the first thermo-geophysical model referencing thermal evolution in a permafrost rock wall with temperature-calibrated ERT. The TGRPM successfully computes the thermal evolution within the Zugspitze mountain ridge from a 2D coupled energy balance and heat conduction scheme in complex topography. It furthermore validates the temperature-resistivity relationship by Krautblatter et al. (2010) for natural rock walls reaching a correlation of 85 to 95 % between measured, ERT-derived and modelled temperatures.</span></p> </div><div><span>Krautblatter, M., Verleysdonk, S., Flores-Orozco, A. & Kemna, A. (2010): Temperature-calibrated imaging of seasonal changes in permafrost rock walls by quantitative electrical resistivity </span><span>tomography </span>(Zugspitze, German/Austrian Alps). <em>J. Geophys. Res. </em>115: F02003.</div>

scholarly journals Assessment of Satellite-Based Rainfall Products Using a X-Band Rain Radar Network in the Complex Terrain of the Ecuadorian Andes

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1678
Author(s):  
Nazli Turini ◽  
Boris Thies ◽  
Rütger Rollenbeck ◽  
Andreas Fries ◽  
Franz Pucha-Cofrep ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
False Alarms ◽  
High Temporal Resolution ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Complex Topography ◽  
Spatiotemporal Resolution ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Single Spectrum ◽  
Rain Area ◽  
Radar Network ◽  
Rain Radar

Ground based rainfall information is hardly available in most high mountain areas of the world due to the remoteness and complex topography. Thus, proper understanding of spatio-temporal rainfall dynamics still remains a challenge in those areas. Satellite-based rainfall products may help if their rainfall assessment are of high quality. In this paper, microwave-based integrated multi-satellite retrieval for the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) (IMERG) (MW-based IMERG) was assessed along with the random-forest-based rainfall (RF-based rainfall) and infrared-only IMERG (IR-only IMERG) products against the quality-controlled rain radar network and meteorological stations of high temporal resolution over the Pacific coast and the Andes of Ecuador. The rain area delineation and rain estimation of each product were evaluated at a spatial resolution of 11 km2 and at the time of MW overpass from IMERG. The regionally calibrated RF-based rainfall at 2 km2 and 30 min was also investigated. The validation results indicate different essential aspects: (i) the best performance is provided by MW-based IMERG in the region at the time of MW overpass; (ii) RF-based rainfall shows better accuracy rather than the IR-only IMERG rainfall product. This confirms that applying multispectral IR data in retrieval can improve the estimation of rainfall compared with single-spectrum IR retrieval algorithms. (iii) All of the products are prone to low-intensity false alarms. (iv) The downscaling of higher-resolution products leads to lower product performance, despite regional calibration. The results show that more caution is needed when developing new algorithms for satellite-based, high-spatiotemporal-resolution rainfall products. The radar data validation shows better performance than meteorological stations because gauge data cannot correctly represent spatial rainfall in complex topography under convective rainfall environments.

scholarly journals Increase in occurrence of large glacier-related landslides in the high mountains of Asia

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Liu ◽  
Yuming Wu ◽  
Xing Gao
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
High Mountains ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
The Past ◽  
Area Distribution ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Recent Trends ◽  
Frequency Area ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractGlobally, a large number of glaciers are retreating due to global warming. Along with climate change, glacial melting has been identified as one of the main triggers of landslide activity in high mountain areas. Evaluations of the triggered mechanism alone do not provide comprehensive insight into the overall impact of glacier accumulation and ablation on landslide-induced denudation. To investigate recent trends, we built landslide and glacier datasets for the HMA using a Landsat time-series covering the past 21 years (1998–2018). Landslides that may have been caused by major earthquakes were identified and removed, leaving an inventory that is used to explore changes that may be related to climate change. Our results show a shift in the frequency–area distribution that indicates an increasing trend of large landslides in the HMA over the last decade. A decline in glacier area is associated with the increase in landslide area.

scholarly journals Intensified paraglacial slope failures due to accelerating downwasting of a temperate glacier in Mt. Gongga, southeastern Tibetan Plateau

2022 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-42
Author(s):  
Yan Zhong ◽  
Qiao Liu ◽  
Matthew Westoby ◽  
Yong Nie ◽  
Francesca Pellicciotti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Slope Failure ◽  
Geological Structure ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Slope Instability ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Seasonal Temperature ◽  
Lateral Moraine ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Mountain Glacier

Abstract. Topographic development via paraglacial slope failure (PSF) represents a complex interplay between geological structure, climate, and glacial denudation. Southeastern Tibet has experienced amongst the highest rates of ice mass loss in High Mountain Asia in recent decades, but few studies have focused on the implications of this mass loss on the stability of paraglacial slopes. We used repeat satellite- and unpiloted aerial vehicle (UAV)-derived imagery between 1990 and 2020 as the basis for mapping PSFs from slopes adjacent to Hailuogou Glacier (HLG), a 5 km long monsoon temperate valley glacier in the Mt. Gongga region. We observed recent lowering of the glacier tongue surface at rates of up to 0.88 m a−1 in the period 2000 to 2016, whilst overall paraglacial bare ground area (PBGA) on glacier-adjacent slopes increased from 0.31 ± 0.27 km2 in 1990 to 1.38 ± 0.06 km2 in 2020. Decadal PBGA expansion rates were ∼ 0.01 km2 a−1, 0.02 km2 a−1, and 0.08 km2 in the periods 1990–2000, 2000–2011, and 2011–2020 respectively, indicating an increasing rate of expansion of PBGA. Three types of PSFs, including rockfalls, sediment-mantled slope slides, and headward gully erosion, were mapped, with a total area of 0.75 ± 0.03 km2 in 2020. South-facing valley slopes (true left of the glacier) exhibited more destabilization (56 % of the total PSF area) than north-facing (true right) valley slopes (44 % of the total PSF area). Deformation of sediment-mantled moraine slopes (mean 1.65–2.63 ± 0.04 cm d−1) and an increase in erosion activity in ice-marginal tributary valleys caused by a drop in local base level (gully headward erosion rates are 0.76–3.39 cm d−1) have occurred in tandem with recent glacier downwasting. We also observe deformation of glacier ice, possibly driven by destabilization of lateral moraine, as has been reported in other deglaciating mountain glacier catchments. The formation, evolution, and future trajectory of PSFs at HLG (as well as other monsoon-dominated deglaciating mountain areas) are related to glacial history, including recent rapid downwasting leading to the exposure of steep, unstable bedrock and moraine slopes, and climatic conditions that promote slope instability, such as very high seasonal precipitation and seasonal temperature fluctuations that are conducive to freeze–thaw and ice segregation processes.

scholarly journals Formation Patterns of Mediterranean High-Mountain Water-Bodies in Sierra-Nevada, SE Spain

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 438
Author(s):  
Jose Luis Diaz-Hernandez ◽  
Antonio Jose Herrera-Martinez
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Unknown Origin ◽  
Slope Instability ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Glacial Processes ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Water Volumes

At present, there is a lack of detailed understanding on how the factors converging on water variables from mountain areas modify the quantity and quality of their watercourses, which are features determining these areas’ hydrological contribution to downstream regions. In order to remedy this situation to some extent, we studied the water-bodies of the western sector of the Sierra Nevada massif (Spain). Since thaw is a necessary but not sufficient contributor to the formation of these fragile water-bodies, we carried out field visits to identify their number, size and spatial distribution as well as their different modelling processes. The best-defined water-bodies were the result of glacial processes, such as overdeepening and moraine dams. These water-bodies are the highest in the massif (2918 m mean altitude), the largest and the deepest, making up 72% of the total. Another group is formed by hillside instability phenomena, which are very dynamic and are related to a variety of processes. The resulting water-bodies are irregular and located at lower altitudes (2842 m mean altitude), representing 25% of the total. The third group is the smallest (3%), with one subgroup formed by anthropic causes and another formed from unknown origin. It has recently been found that the Mediterranean and Atlantic watersheds of this massif are somewhat paradoxical in behaviour, since, despite its higher xericity, the Mediterranean watershed generally has higher water contents than the Atlantic. The overall cause of these discrepancies between watersheds is not connected to their formation processes. However, we found that the classification of water volumes by the manners of formation of their water-bodies is not coherent with the associated green fringes because of the anomalous behaviour of the water-bodies formed by moraine dams. This discrepancy is largely due to the passive role of the water retained in this type of water-body as it depends on the characteristics of its hollows. The water-bodies of Sierra Nevada close to the peak line (2918 m mean altitude) are therefore highly dependent on the glacial processes that created the hollows in which they are located. Slope instability created water-bodies mainly located at lower altitudes (2842 m mean altitude), representing tectonic weak zones or accumulation of debris, which are influenced by intense slope dynamics. These water-bodies are therefore more fragile, and their existence is probably more short-lived than that of bodies created under glacial conditions.

Effective and Ecological Technologies of Application of Structured Materials for Roadbed in the Permafrost Regions

2018 ◽  
Vol 284 ◽  
pp. 950-955
Author(s):  
V.G. Merzlikin ◽  
G.I. Bolkina ◽  
L.N. Ignatova
Keyword(s):  
Thermal State ◽  
Toxic Waste ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Radiative Heat Exchange ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Frozen Ground ◽  
Structured Materials ◽  
Environmental Measures ◽  
Soil Foundation ◽  
Support Engineering

The work is devoted to effective and ecological technologies for the application of functional structured materials for roads, railways, airfields on permafrost with forced cooling of the sub-soil foundation. The physical and mathematical simulation of the thermal state of frozen ground with single and double-layer coatings was performed. The temperature profiles of a model combine roadbed on the longstanding permafrost have been calculated at winter conditions of the Northern Hemisphere. This roadbed include an upper surface coating with low thermal conductivity and high emissivity in the long-wavelength IR range at convective-radiative heat exchange. The second high-conductive subsurface coating is laid on the underlying sub-soil and ensures its cooling as the “heat pump”. The efficiency of the proposed technology of roadbed construction based on the use of non-toxic waste of numerous industrial productions. The carried out research will be in demand for the specialists of transport support, engineering glaciology, in the field of climatology, oceanology, construction, environmental measures, and also in the presentation of financial and economic forecasts of the prospects for the development of polar and subpolar regions, the Arctic and the Antarctic, and high-mountain.

Interpretation of Atmospheric CO2 Measurements in Mexico City

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Xu ◽  
Michel Ramonet ◽  
Thomas Lauvaux ◽  
Jinghui Lian ◽  
Francois-Marie Bréon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mexico City ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Single Layer ◽  
Urban Canopy ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Complex Topography ◽  
Urban Station ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Mixing Ratios

<p>The French-Mexican project Mexico City’s Regional Carbon Impacts (MERCI-CO<sub>2</sub>) is building a CO<sub>2</sub> observation network in the Metropolitan Zone of the Valley of Mexico (ZMVM). The project investigates the atmospheric signals generated by the city's emissions on total column and surface measurements, aiming at reducing the uncertainties of CO<sub>2</sub> emissions in ZMVM and evaluating the effects of policies that had been implemented by the city authorities. </p><p>A nested high-resolution atmospheric transport simulation based on the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) is performed to analyze the observed CO<sub>2</sub> mixing ratios during dry and wet seasons over Mexico City and its vicinity. Both anthropogenic emissions (UNAM 1-km fossil fuel emissions) and biogenic fluxes (CASA 5-km simulations) are taken into account. The model configuration, with a horizontal resolution of 1km and using the Single-Layer urban canopy Model (SLUCM), has been evaluated over two weeks in January 2018 using meteorological measurements from 26 stations set by the Air Quality Agency of Mexico City (Secretary of the Environment of Mexico City - SEDEMA). The reconstruction of meteorological conditions in the urban area shows better performances than suburban and mountainous areas. Due to the complex topography, wind speeds in mountain areas are 2-3 m/s over estimated and wind direction simulations in some stations are 90° deflected, especially in southern mountains. </p><p>Two high-precision CO<sub>2</sub> analyzers deployed in urban and rural areas of Mexico City are used to evaluate the WRF CO<sub>2</sub> 1-km simulations. The model reproduced the diurnal cycle of CO<sub>2</sub> mixing ratios at the background station but under-estimates the nighttime accumulation at the urban station. Mean absolute errors of CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations range from 6.5 ppm (background station) to 27.1 ppm (urban station), mostly driven by the elevated nocturnal enhancements (up to 500 ppm at UNAM station). Based on this analysis, we demonstrate the challenges and potential of mesoscale modeling over complex topography, and the potential use of mid-cost sensors to constrain the urban GHG emissions of Mexico City.</p>

scholarly journals Short-term velocity variations at three rock glaciers and their relationship with meteorological conditions

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Wirz ◽  
S. Gruber ◽  
R. S. Purves ◽  
J. Beutel ◽  
I. Gärtner-Roer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pore Water Pressure ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
High Temporal Resolution ◽  
Rock Glacier ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Rock Glaciers ◽  
Velocity Variations

Abstract. In recent years, strong variations in the speed of rock glaciers have been detected, raising questions about their stability under changing climatic conditions. In this study, we present continuous time series of surface velocities over 3 years of six GPS stations located on three rock glaciers in Switzerland. Intra-annual velocity variations are analysed in relation to local meteorological factors, such as precipitation, snow(melt), and air and ground surface temperatures. The main focus of this study lies on the abrupt velocity peaks, which have been detected at two steep and fast-moving rock glacier tongues ( ≥  5 m a−1), and relationships to external meteorological forcing are statistically tested.The continuous measurements with high temporal resolution allowed us to detect short-term velocity peaks, which occur outside cold winter conditions, at these two rock glacier tongues. Our measurements further revealed that all rock glaciers experience clear intra-annual variations in movement in which the timing and the amplitude is reasonably similar in individual years. The seasonal decrease in velocity was typically smooth, starting 1–3 months after the seasonal decrease in temperatures, and was stronger in years with colder temperatures in mid winter. Seasonal acceleration was mostly abrupt and rapid compared to the winter deceleration, always starting during the zero curtain period. We found a statistically significant relationship between the occurrence of short-term velocity peaks and water input from heavy precipitation or snowmelt, while no velocity peak could be attributed solely to high temperatures. The findings of this study further suggest that, in addition to the short-term velocity peaks, the seasonal acceleration is also influenced by water infiltration, causing thermal advection and an increase in pore water pressure. In contrast, the amount of deceleration in winter seems to be mainly controlled by winter temperatures.

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