Seasonally intermittent water flow through deep fractures in an Alpine Rock Ridge: Gemsstock, Central Swiss Alps

Phillips, Marcia; Haberkorn, Anna; Draebing, Daniel; Krautblatter, Michael; Rhyner, Hansueli; Kenner, Robert

doi:10.1016/j.coldregions.2016.02.010

Cited by 46 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 53 publications

(76 reference statements)

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“…1a). The N-facing scarp slope is intersected by a series of parallel joints dipping south-eastwards at 70 • (Phillips et al, 2016a). These joints form 0.3 to 3 m wide horizontal ledges within the N-facing rock wall and alternate with steep to vertical parts.…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

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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Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

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

et al. 2017

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“…The S face is a smooth dip slope, whereas the N face is a rough scarp slope characterized by a series of persistent parallel joints dipping steeply south-eastwards at 70°, forming horizontal ledges in the rock wall with a spacing of 3 to 5 m (Phillips et al, 2016a). The rougher rock surface enhances snow accumulation here.…”

Section: Study Sites and Winter Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The site has enhanced orographic and convective cloud formation and high precipitation values with measured maximum winter snow depths exceeding 4 m. Mean annual precipitation at the MeteoSwiss automatic weather station (AWS) Gütsch, 6 km North of Gemsstock at 2287 m asl, is around 1500 mm a − 1 . The mean annual air temperature (MAAT) at the AWS Gemsstock (2869 m asl) is − 3°C (Phillips et al, 2016a). Jungfraujoch is on the northern Alpine divide, also affected by enhanced orographic cloud formation.…”

Section: Study Sites and Winter Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Upward capillary suction and freezing of meltwater from the impermeable rock surface upwards may have contributed towards the formation of these thick basal ice layers. Long-term rock temperature data measured in a horizontal borehole through the ridge at the Gemsstock site indicate that basal ice layers form yearly every spring and are so thick that they prevent infiltration of snowmelt into joints on the N slope of Gemsstock, thus having a positive influence on rock slope stability (Phillips et al, 2016a).…”

Section: Dominant Snow Cover Characteristics On North-facing Rock Slopesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Snowpack characteristics on steep frozen rock slopes

Phillips

Haberkorn

Rhyner

2017

Cold Regions Science and Technology

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Data from 27 snow profiles taken in frozen rock walls at two sites in the Swiss Alps reveal that steep slopes have distinctive snowpack characteristics. Snow pits were dug in 50-65° slopes at elevations between 2900 and 3600 m asl on north-and south-facing slopes at Gemsstock and Jungfraujoch Sphinx in the winters 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. There were marked contrasts in snow characteristics between the two aspects, yet strong intersite similarities. Under the influence of intense solar radiation, basal ice layers and multiple hard melt-freeze crusts formed on the south-facing slopes. Soft layers of facets and depth hoar developed between the crusts. On the shady north-facing slopes, thick basal melt-freeze crusts formed when snow persisted during stable weather periods in autumn. The dominant snow grain types in winter were facets and depth hoar. When solar elevation exceeded slope angle from mid-April onwards, gravity-driven percolation of melt water flowing parallel to the frozen rock surface from areas with warm protruding rocks led to the formation of thick basal ice layers in the north-facing slopes. Windward slopes were covered with rime and glaze during storms, regardless of aspect and season. Despite widespread snowpack instability, the formation of large slab avalanches was hindered by the pronounced roughness of the rock surfaces. The main drivers contributing to the distinctive character of snow covers in frozen rock walls are the negative rock surface temperatures, enhanced/minimized solar radiation and multidirectional fluxes of water, vapour and heat induced by the steepness of the rock slopes.

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“…Modified Flinn, Triangular and histograms plots were also available. Over the years OpenStereo have acquire a great number of users, being cited in several articles such as the most recent , and Phillips et al (2016). Even back in its first release, the authors predicted a development that would focus on building additional tools such as merging and rotation of datasets, possibility to save projects and paleostress analysis.…”

Section: An Introduction To Openstereomentioning

confidence: 99%

Methods and applications for geological directional data analysis

Correia¹

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Autorizo a reprodução e divulgação total ou parcial deste trabalho, por qualquer meio convencional ou eletrônico, para fins de estudo e pesquisa, desde que citada a fonte. As equipes da Seção de Pós-Graduação, Graduação, Biblioteca, Gráfica e demais funcionários do Instituto de Geociências;A CAPES pelo apoio financeiro através de bolsa de mestrado;Esta dissertação foi escrita em L A T E X com a classe IAGTESE."We have no idea, now, of who or what the inhabitants of our future might be. In that sense, we have no future. Not in the sense that our grandparents had a future, or thought they did. Fully imagined cultural futures were the luxury of another day, one in which 'now' was of some greater duration. For us, of course, things can change so abruptly, so violently, so profoundly, that futures like our grandparents' have insufficient 'now' to stand on. We have no future because our present is too volatile. ... We have only risk management. The spinning of the given moment's scenarios. Pattern recognition" William Gibson, Pattern Recognition ResumoOpenStereo foi desenvolvido originalmente para preencher uma lacuna entre aplicativos de análise para geologia estrutural, como um software livre, gratuito e multi-plataforma.Ao longo dos anos ele adquiriu um grande número de usuários, com citações regulares.Este trabalho objetivou a reestruturação do OpenStereo como um todo, mudando-o para uma nova estrutura de interface gráfica e construíndo-o do zero visando desempenho, estabilidade e facilidade de manutenção e extensão. Diversas novas funcionalidades foram incluídas tais como projetos, conversão de notação de atitudes, ajuste de pequenos círculos, extração de atitudes de modelos tridimensionais e conversão de shapefiles de linhas para dados circulares. A pesquisa gerou dois subprodutos principais: um novo método gráfico para ajuste de pequenos círculos e a biblioteca de análise de dados estruturais Auttitude.Palavras chave: Geologia Estrutural, Dados Direcionais, Software AbstractOpenStereo was originally developed to fill a gap among software packages for structural geology analysis, as a free open source cross-platform software. Over the years it has acquired a great number of users, with regular citations. This work aimed to restructure OpenStereo as a whole, changing to a new graphical interface framework and building it from the ground up for speed, stability, ease of maintenance and extension. Many new functionalities were also included, such as project management, structural attitudes notation handling, small circle fitting, extractions of attitudes from three-dimensional models and conversion of lines shapefiles to circular data. The research involved had two main byproducts, a new graphical method for small circle data fitting and a directional data analysis library, Auttitude.

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Seasonally intermittent water flow through deep fractures in an Alpine Rock Ridge: Gemsstock, Central Swiss Alps

Cited by 46 publications

References 53 publications

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

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

Snowpack characteristics on steep frozen rock slopes

Methods and applications for geological directional data analysis

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