New Paper links climate change to alpine rockfall

[Dru]

Impacts

 

Gruber, S., M. Hoelzle and W. Haeberli. 2004. Permafrost thaw and

destabilization of Alpine rock walls in the hot summer of 2003. GRL 31,

L13504, doi: 10.1029/2004GL020051, 2004. Gruber et al. consider whether the

unusual summer of 2003 in Europe is an indicator of things to come under

climate change. The summer of 2003 was ~3°C warmer in Switzerland than the

1961-90 average and this coincided with exceptional rock fall activity,

especially at high elevations and on north-facing slopes. In the absence of

unusual precipitation or other possible effects on slope stability, the

authors hypothesize that rapid degradation of mountain permafrost is the

likely cause. They investigated this hypothesis using observations of air

and near surface temperature in steep rock faces in an energy balance model

to simulate summer thaw for the period 1982-2002 and compared it to 2003

rates. The modelled thaw of 2003 exceeded the maximum of the previous 21

years. , Authors conclude that these findings are cause for concern with

respect to future warming, suggesting that the locations, magnitudes and

frequencies of rock wall instabilities are likely to expand beyond the

ranges of historic variability. This instability has implications for

infrastructure, tourism and public safety in alpine ranges.

 

 

Better buy a new helmet...

[Stemalot]

yes...it's about time you up grade the ugly old thing!