Is climate change causing increased rockfall frequency in Austria?

Sass, Oliver; Oberlechner, Martin

doi:10.5194/nhess-12-3209-2012

Cited by 48 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Indeed, surface exposed to decay as a result of wounding will slowly be covered by the centripetal growth of the cambium, which will consequently result in the production of new wood and bark tissues that can eventually seal the wound (Fisher, 1981;Sachs, 1991). The extent and velocity of wound healing will depend on various factors, such as the annual increment rate, tree age, health state of the tree, scar size Schneuwly et al, 2009), and/or bark thickness .…”

Section: Speciesmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The frequency of events of a given magnitude (volume) can be evaluated using a statistical analysis of inventories of rockfall events (e.g., Hungr et al, 1999), taking into account the definition of suitable magnitude-frequency relationships (e.g., Dussauge-Peisser et al, 2002). Although this approach is well established in the field of natural hazards, and in particular for earthquakes, its application to rockfall hazards is somewhat more limited because of the generalized lack of historical archives and the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of available inventories (e.g., Sass and Oberlechner, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Potential of two submontane broadleaved species (Acer opalus, Quercus pubescens) to reveal spatiotemporal patterns of rockfall activity

et al. 2015

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Section: Speciesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential of two submontane broadleaved species (Acer opalus, Quercus pubescens) to reveal spatiotemporal patterns of rockfall activity

et al. 2015

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“…Rockfall can be attributed to various triggering factors (Fischer et al, 2012;Krautblatter et al, 2013), including a fast reaction of rock faces to climate change expressed in rapid active layer thickening and permafrost degradation (e.g. Allen and Huggel, 2013;Deline et al, 2015;Gruber and Haeberli, 2007;Ravanel and Deline, 2011;Sass and Oberlechner, 2012). Rock wall instability is a risk to the safety of local communities and infrastructure in the densely populated Alps (Bommer et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distributed snow and rock temperature modelling in steep rock walls using Alpine3D

et al. 2017

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Abstract. In this study we modelled the influence of the spatially and temporally heterogeneous snow cover on the surface energy balance and thus on rock temperatures in two rugged, steep rock walls on the Gemsstock ridge in the central Swiss Alps. The heterogeneous snow depth distribution in the rock walls was introduced to the distributed, processbased energy balance model Alpine3D with a precipitation scaling method based on snow depth data measured by terrestrial laser scanning. The influence of the snow cover on rock temperatures was investigated by comparing a snowcovered model scenario (precipitation input provided by precipitation scaling) with a snow-free (zero precipitation input) one. Model uncertainties are discussed and evaluated at both the point and spatial scales against 22 near-surface rock temperature measurements and high-resolution snow depth data from winter terrestrial laser scans.In the rough rock walls, the heterogeneously distributed snow cover was moderately well reproduced by Alpine3D with mean absolute errors ranging between 0.31 and 0.81 m. However, snow cover duration was reproduced well and, consequently, near-surface rock temperatures were modelled convincingly. Uncertainties in rock temperature modelling were found to be around 1.6 • C. Errors in snow cover modelling and hence in rock temperature simulations are explained by inadequate snow settlement due to linear precipitation scaling, missing lateral heat fluxes in the rock, and by errors caused by interpolation of shortwave radiation, wind and air temperature into the rock walls.Mean annual near-surface rock temperature increases were both measured and modelled in the steep rock walls as a consequence of a thick, long-lasting snow cover. Rock temperatures were 1.3-2.5 • C higher in the shaded and sunny rock walls, while comparing snow-covered to snow-free simulations. This helps to assess the potential error made in ground temperature modelling when neglecting snow in steep bedrock.

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“…We need to better understand the triggering mechanisms of rockfalls, to enhance the quantitative assessment of rockfall hazard and the prediction of high-hazard periods according to the meteorological forecast. Moreover, this is an important step to assess the influence of climate change on rockfall hazard (Huggel et al, 2012;Sass and Oberlechner, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of meteorological factors on rockfall occurrence in a middle mountain limestone cliff

D’Amato

Hantz

Guérin

et al. 2016

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. The influence of meteorological conditions on rockfall occurrence has been often highlighted, but knowledge of it is still not sufficient due to the lack of exhaustive and precise rockfall databases. In this study, rockfalls have been detected in a limestone cliff by annual terrestrial laser scanning, and dated by photographic survey over a period of 2.5 years. A near-continuous survey (one photo every 10 min) with a wide-angle lens has made it possible to date 214 rockfalls larger than 0.1 m 3 , and a monthly survey with a telephoto lens has dated 854 rockfalls larger than 0.01 m 3 . Analysis of the two databases shows that the rockfall frequency can be multiplied by a factor as high as 7 during freeze-thaw episodes and 26 when the mean rainfall intensity (since the beginning of the rainfall episode) is higher than 5 mm h −1 . Based on these results, a three-level scale has been proposed for predicting the temporal variations of rockfall frequency. The more precise database and freeze-thaw episode definition make it possible to distinguish different phases in freeze-thaw episodes: negative temperature cooling periods, negative temperature warming periods and thawing periods. It appears that rockfalls occur more frequently during warming and thawing periods than during cooling periods. It can be inferred that rockfalls are caused by thermal ice dilatation rather than by dilatation due to the phase transition. But they may occur only when the ice melts, because the cohesion of the ice-rock interface can be sufficient to hold the rock compartment which has been cut.

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Is climate change causing increased rockfall frequency in Austria?

Cited by 48 publications

References 17 publications

Potential of two submontane broadleaved species (Acer opalus, Quercus pubescens) to reveal spatiotemporal patterns of rockfall activity

Potential of two submontane broadleaved species (Acer opalus, Quercus pubescens) to reveal spatiotemporal patterns of rockfall activity

Distributed snow and rock temperature modelling in steep rock walls using Alpine3D

Influence of meteorological factors on rockfall occurrence in a middle mountain limestone cliff

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