An integrated approach to investigate climate-driven rockfall occurrence in high alpine slopes: the Bessanese glacial basin, Western Italian Alps

doi:10.1007/s11629-020-6216-y

CORC > 成都山地灾害与环境研究所 > 中国科学院水利部成都山地灾害与环境研究所 > Journal of Mountain Science > Journal of Mountain Science-2020 > Vol17 No.11

	An integrated approach to investigate climate-driven rockfall occurrence in high alpine slopes: the Bessanese glacial basin, Western Italian Alps
	Viani, Cristina; Chiarle, Marta; Paranunzio, Roberta; Merlone, Andrea; Musacchio, Chiara; Coppa, Graziano; Nigrelli, Guido
刊名	JOURNAL OF MOUNTAIN SCIENCE
	2020
卷号	17 期号:11 页码:2591-2610
关键词	Rockfalls Climate change Air and rock temperature Periglacial environment Western Italian Alps
ISSN号	1672-6316
DOI	10.1007/s11629-020-6216-y
文献子类	Article
英文摘要	Rockfalls are one of the most common instability processes in high mountains. They represent a relevant issue, both for the risks they represent for (infra) structures and frequentation, and for their potential role as terrestrial indicators of climate change. This study aims to contribute to the growing topic of the relationship between climate change and slope instability at the basin scale. The selected study area is the Bessanese glacial basin (Western Italian Alps) which, since 2016, has been specifically equipped, monitored and investigated for this purpose. In order to provide a broader context for the interpretation of the recent rockfall events and associated climate conditions, a cross-temporal and integrated approach has been adopted. For this purpose, geomorphological investigations (last 100 years), local climate (last 30 years) and near-surface rock/air temperatures analyses, have been carried out. First research outcomes show that rockfalls occurred in two different geomorphological positions: on rock slopes in permafrost condition, facing from NW to NE and/or along the glacier margins, on rock slopes uncovered by the ice in the last decades. Seasonal thaw of the active layer and/or glacier debutressing can be deemed responsible for slope failure preparation. With regard to timing, almost all dated rock falls occurred in summer. For the July events, initiation may have been caused by a combination of rapid snow melt and enhanced seasonal thaw of the active layer due to anomalous high temperatures, and rainfall. August events are, instead, associated with a significant positive temperature anomaly on the quarterly scale, and they can be ascribed to the rapid and/or in depth thaw of the permafrost active layer. According to our findings, we can expect that in the Bessanese glacierized basin, as in similar high mountain areas, climate change will cause an increase of slope instability in the future. To fasten knowledge deepening, we highlight the need for a growth of a network of high elevation experimental sites at the basin scale, and the definition of shared methodological and measurement standards, that would allow a more rapid and effective comparison of data.
电子版国际标准刊号	1993-0321
语种	英语
WOS记录号	WOS:000588716900001
内容类型	期刊论文
源URL	[http://ir.imde.ac.cn/handle/131551/50631]
专题	Journal of Mountain Science_Journal of Mountain Science-2020_Vol17 No.11
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Viani, Cristina,Chiarle, Marta,Paranunzio, Roberta,et al. An integrated approach to investigate climate-driven rockfall occurrence in high alpine slopes: the Bessanese glacial basin, Western Italian Alps[J]. JOURNAL OF MOUNTAIN SCIENCE,2020,17(11):2591-2610.
APA	Viani, Cristina.,Chiarle, Marta.,Paranunzio, Roberta.,Merlone, Andrea.,Musacchio, Chiara.,...&Nigrelli, Guido.(2020).An integrated approach to investigate climate-driven rockfall occurrence in high alpine slopes: the Bessanese glacial basin, Western Italian Alps.JOURNAL OF MOUNTAIN SCIENCE,17(11),2591-2610.
MLA	Viani, Cristina,et al."An integrated approach to investigate climate-driven rockfall occurrence in high alpine slopes: the Bessanese glacial basin, Western Italian Alps".JOURNAL OF MOUNTAIN SCIENCE 17.11(2020):2591-2610.