scholarly journals Influence of surface heterogeneity on observed borehole temperatures at a mountain permafrost site in the Upper Engadine, Swiss Alps

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 2629-2663 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Schneider ◽  
M. Hoelzle ◽  
C. Hauck
Keyword(s):  
Surface Heterogeneity ◽  
Swiss Alps ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Thermally Driven ◽  
Subsurface Material ◽  
Borehole Temperatures

Abstract. Compared to lowland (polar) regions, permafrost in high mountain areas occurs in a large variety of surface and subsurface material and texture. This work presents an eight-year (2002–2010) data set of borehole temperatures for five different (sub-) surface materials from a high alpine permafrost area, Murtel-Corvatsch, Switzerland. The influence of the material on the thermal regime was investigated by borehole temperature data, the TTOP-concept and the apparent thermal diffusivity (ATD). The results show that during the last eight years material specific temperature changes were more significant than for all boreholes consistent, climate-induced temperature trends. At coarse blocky, ice-rich sites no changes in active layer depth were observed, whereas the bedrock and the fine-grained sites appear to be highly sensitive to changes in the microclimate. The results confirm that the presence and growth of ice as well as a thermally driven air-circulation within the subsurface are the key factors for the occurence and preservation of alpine permafrost.

scholarly journals Influence of surface and subsurface heterogeneity on observed borehole temperatures at a mountain permafrost site in the Upper Engadine, Swiss Alps

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 517-531 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Schneider ◽  
M. Hoelzle ◽  
C. Hauck
Keyword(s):  
Swiss Alps ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Temperature Changes ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Temperature Trends ◽  
Thermally Driven ◽  
Borehole Temperatures

Abstract. Compared to lowland (polar) regions, permafrost in high mountain areas occurs in a large variety of surface and subsurface materials and textures. This work presents an eight-year (2002–2010) data set of borehole temperatures for five different (sub-) surface materials from a high alpine permafrost area, Murtèl-Corvatsch, Switzerland. The influence of the material on the thermal regime was investigated by borehole temperature data, the temperature at the top of the permafrost (TTOP-concept) and the apparent thermal diffusivity (ATD). The results show that during the last eight years, material-specific temperature changes were more significant than climate-induced temperature trends. At coarse blocky, ice-rich sites, no changes in active layer depth were observed, whereas the bedrock and the fine-grained sites appear to be highly sensitive to changes in the microclimate. The results confirm that the presence and growth of ice as well as a thermally driven air circulation within the subsurface are the key factors for the occurence and preservation of alpine permafrost.

scholarly journals Geobibliography and Bibliometric Networks of Polar Tourism and Climate Change Research

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 498 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Demiroglu ◽  
C. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Future Research ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Climate Change Research ◽  
Climate Resilience ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
Systematic Identification

In late 2019, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released their much-awaited Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC). High mountain areas, polar regions, low-lying islands and coastal areas, and ocean and marine ecosystems, were separately dealt by experts to reveal the impacts of climate change on these regions, as well as the responses of the natural and human systems inhabiting or related to these regions. The tourism sector was found, among the main systems, influenced by climate change in the oceanic and cryospheric environments. In this study, we deepen the understanding of tourism and climate interrelationships in the polar regions. In doing so, we step outside the climate resilience of polar tourism paradigm and systematically assess the literature in terms of its gaps relating to an extended framework where the impacts of tourism on climate through a combined and rebound effects lens are in question as well. Following a systematic identification and screening on two major bibliometric databases, a final selection of 93 studies, spanning the 2004–2019 period, are visualized in terms of their thematic and co-authorship networks and a study area based geobibliography, coupled with an emerging hot spots analysis, to help identify gaps for future research.

Temperatures in two boreholes at Flüela Pass, Eastern Swiss Alps: the effect of snow redistribution on permafrost distribution patterns in high mountain areas

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Luetschg ◽  
Veronika Stoeckli ◽  
Michael Lehning ◽  
Wilfried Haeberli ◽  
Walter Ammann
Keyword(s):  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Swiss Alps ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Mountain Areas

scholarly journals Assessing Risks from Glacier Hazards in High Mountain Regions: Some Experiences in the Swiss Alps

1989 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 96-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Haeberli ◽  
J.-C. Alean ◽  
P. Müller ◽  
M. Funk
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Reasoning ◽  
Swiss Alps ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Rock Falls ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Simple Rules ◽  
Glacier Length ◽  
Risk Zones ◽  
Safety Considerations

Assessing risks from potential glacier hazards in relation to safety considerations for settlements and other fixed installations in high mountain areas requires the application of experience gained from previous events, combined with simple rules derived from basic glaciological theory. The general characteristics of steep, and usually unmeasured, glaciers can be estimated on the basis of a rough parameterization scheme. Variations in glacier length, ice avalanches, and glacier floods then have to be considered for time periods ranging from a few years up to a few decades. As a result of such systematic assessments, maps of potentially dangerous zones can be prepared. Although the inhabitants of many Alpine villages have always lived with the risk of glacier hazards, it now appears that modern construction work, especially that connected with the development of tourism, has started to infiltrate previously avoided high-risk zones more and more. In order to plan reasonable safety measures, risks from glacier hazards have to be compared with those from other natural hazards in mountain areas, such as snow avalanches, landslides, rock falls! or storm-induced floods. Decisions about the acceptable level of risk are difficult and subjective; they are also often influenced by political and economical considerations rather than by scientific reasoning.

scholarly journals Regional-scale GIS-models for assessment of hazards from glacier lake outbursts: evaluation and application in the Swiss Alps

2003 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 647-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Huggel ◽  
A. Kääb ◽  
W. Haeberli ◽  
B. Krummenacher
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flow ◽  
Debris Flows ◽  
Flow Direction ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Satellite Image ◽  
Swiss Alps ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Single Flow

Abstract. Debris flows triggered by glacier lake outbursts have repeatedly caused disasters in various high-mountain regions of the world. Accelerated change of glacial and periglacial environments due to atmospheric warming and increased anthropogenic development in most of these areas raise the need for an adequate hazard assessment and corresponding modelling. The purpose of this paper is to pro-vide a modelling approach which takes into account the current evolution of the glacial environment and satisfies a robust first-order assessment of hazards from glacier-lake outbursts. Two topography-based GIS-models simulating debris flows related to outbursts from glacier lakes are presented and applied for two lake outburst events in the southern Swiss Alps. The models are based on information about glacier lakes derived from remote sensing data, and on digital elevation models (DEM). Hydrological flow routing is used to simulate the debris flow resulting from the lake outburst. Thereby, a multiple- and a single-flow-direction approach are applied. Debris-flow propagation is given in probability-related values indicating the hazard potential of a certain location. The debris flow runout distance is calculated on the basis of empirical data on average slope trajectory. The results show that the multiple-flow-direction approach generally yields a more detailed propagation. The single-flow-direction approach, however, is more robust against DEM artifacts and, hence, more suited for process automation. The model is tested with three differently generated DEMs (including aero-photogrammetry- and satellite image-derived). Potential application of the respective DEMs is discussed with a special focus on satellite-derived DEMs for use in remote high-mountain areas.

Remote sensing based assessment of hazards from glacier lake outbursts: a case study in the Swiss Alps

2002 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 316-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Huggel ◽  
Andreas Kääb ◽  
Wilfried Haeberli ◽  
Philippe Teysseire ◽  
Frank Paul
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Hazard Assessment ◽  
Swiss Alps ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Runout Distance ◽  
Hazard Potential ◽  
Empirical Relations ◽  
Scale Levels ◽  
Remote Sensing Techniques

Glacier lakes are a common phenomenon in high mountain areas. Outbursts from glacier lakes have repeatedly caused the loss of human lives as well as severe damage to local infrastructure. In several high mountain ranges around the world, a grave uncertainty about the hazard potential of glacier lakes still exists, especially with respect to the effects of accelerating rates of glacier retreat as a consequence of atmospheric warming. Area-wide detection and modeling of glacier lake hazard potentials is, therefore, a major challenge. In this study, an approach integrating three scale levels allows for the progressive focus on critical glacier lakes. Remote sensing methods for application in glacier lake hazard assessment are presented, and include channel indexing, data fusion, and change detection. Each method matches the requirements of a certain scale level. For estimating potential disaster amplitudes, assessments must be made of maximum discharge and runout distance of outbursts floods and debris flows. Existing empirical relations are evaluated and complementary ones as derived from available data are proposed. Tests with observations from a recent outburst event from a moraine-dammed lake in the Swiss Alps show the basic applicability of the proposed techniques and the usefulness of empirical relations for first hazard assessments. In particular, the observed runout distance of the debris flow resulting from the outburst does not exceed the empirically estimated maximum runout distance. A list of decision criteria and related remote sensing techniques are discussed in conclusion. Such a list is an essential tool for evaluating the hazard potential of a lake. A systematic application of remote sensing based methods for glacier lake hazard assessment is recommended.Key words: glacier lake outburst, hazard potential, remote sensing, empirical parameters.

scholarly journals Assessing Risks from Glacier Hazards in High Mountain Regions: Some Experiences in the Swiss Alps

1989 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 96-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Haeberli ◽  
J.-C. Alean ◽  
P. Müller ◽  
M. Funk
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Reasoning ◽  
Swiss Alps ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Rock Falls ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Simple Rules ◽  
Glacier Length ◽  
Risk Zones ◽  
Safety Considerations

Assessing risks from potential glacier hazards in relation to safety considerations for settlements and other fixed installations in high mountain areas requires the application of experience gained from previous events, combined with simple rules derived from basic glaciological theory. The general characteristics of steep, and usually unmeasured, glaciers can be estimated on the basis of a rough parameterization scheme. Variations in glacier length, ice avalanches, and glacier floods then have to be considered for time periods ranging from a few years up to a few decades. As a result of such systematic assessments, maps of potentially dangerous zones can be prepared. Although the inhabitants of many Alpine villages have always lived with the risk of glacier hazards, it now appears that modern construction work, especially that connected with the development of tourism, has started to infiltrate previously avoided high-risk zones more and more. In order to plan reasonable safety measures, risks from glacier hazards have to be compared with those from other natural hazards in mountain areas, such as snow avalanches, landslides, rock falls! or storm-induced floods. Decisions about the acceptable level of risk are difficult and subjective; they are also often influenced by political and economical considerations rather than by scientific reasoning.

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.

scholarly journals Technical Note: Quantification of interferences of wet chemical HONO LOPAP measurements under simulated polar conditions

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (22) ◽  
pp. 6813-6822 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kleffmann ◽  
P. Wiesen
Keyword(s):  
Technical Note ◽  
Swiss Alps ◽  
Pollution Level ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Alpine Research ◽  
Absorption Photometer ◽  
Present Pilot Study ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract. In the present pilot study, an optimized LOPAP instrument (LOng Path Absorption Photometer) for the detection of nitrous acid (HONO) in the atmosphere (DL 0.2 pptV) was tested at the high alpine research station Jungfraujoch at 3580 m altitude in the Swiss Alps under conditions comparable to polar regions. HONO concentrations in the range <0.5–50 pptV with an average of 7.5 pptV were observed at the Jungfraujoch. The diurnal profiles obtained exhibited clear maxima at noon and minima with very low concentration during the night supporting the proposed photochemical production of HONO. In good agreement with recent measurements at the South Pole, it was demonstrated, that interferences of chemical HONO instruments can significantly influence the measurements and lead to considerable overestimations, especially for low pollution level. Accordingly, the active correction of interferences is of paramount importance for the determination of reliable HONO data.

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