Water controls the seasonal rhythm of rock glacier flow

Cicoira, Alessandro; Beutel, Jan; Faillettaz, Jérôme; Vieli, Andreas

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2019.115844

Cited by 97 publications

(103 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Other studies employing InSAR techniques observe creeping rates from centimetres to several metres per year for rock glaciers in the western Swiss Alps (Strozzi et al, 2020), in western Greenland (Strozzi et al, 2020) and in the Argentinian Andes (Villarroel et al, 2018;Strozzi et al, 2020). Furthermore, all of them clearly indicate seasonal variations in the rock glacier movement, with faster rates in summer and reduced creeping rates in winter months (Cicoira et al, 2019;Delaloye et al, 2008Delaloye et al, , 2010. In our study area neither rock glaciers nor protalus ramparts display significantly accelerated creep in summer (Fig.…”

Section: Landformsupporting

confidence: 42%

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Insights into a remote cryosphere: a multi-method approach to assess permafrost occurrence at the Qugaqie basin, western Nyainqêntanglha Range, Tibetan Plateau

et al. 2021

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Abstract. Permafrost as a climate-sensitive parameter and its occurrence and distribution play an important role in the observation of global warming. However, field-based permafrost distribution data and information on the subsurface ice content in the large area of the southern mountainous Tibetan Plateau (TP) are very sparse. Existing models based on boreholes and remote sensing approaches suggest permafrost probabilities for most of the Tibetan mountain ranges. Field data to validate permafrost models are generally lacking because access to the mountain regions in extreme altitudes is limited. The study provides geomorphological and geophysical field data from a north-orientated high-altitude catchment in the western Nyainqêntanglha Range. A multi-method approach combines (A) geomorphological mapping, (B) electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) to identify subsurface ice occurrence and (C) interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) analysis to derive multi-annual creeping rates. The combination of the resulting data allows an assessment of the lower occurrence of permafrost in a range of 5350 and 5500 m above sea level (a.s.l.) in the Qugaqie basin. Periglacial landforms such as rock glaciers and protalus ramparts are located in the periglacial zone from 5300–5600 m a.s.l. The altitudinal periglacial landform distribution is supported by ERT data detecting ice-rich permafrost in a rock glacier at 5500 m a.s.l. and ice lenses around the rock glacier (5450 m a.s.l.). The highest multiannual creeping rates up to 150 mm yr−1 are typically observed on these rock glaciers. This study closes the gap of unknown state of periglacial features and potential permafrost occurrence in a high-elevated basin in the western Nyainqêntanglha Range (Tibetan Plateau).

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Section: Landformsupporting

confidence: 42%

“…Bathymetric data originated from Wang et al (2009) (hillshade and DEM background based on SRTM DEM v4; Jarvis et al, 2008). Glacier extents originated from the GLIMS database (Cogley et al, 2015;Guo et al, 2015;Liu and Guo, 2014). (c) Permafrost distribution in the western Nyainqêntanglha range based on Zou et al (2017).…”

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confidence: 99%

Insights into a remote cryosphere: a multi-method approach to assess permafrost occurrence at the Qugaqie basin, western Nyainqêntanglha Range, Tibetan Plateau

et al. 2021

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“…Borehole data showed that most 60 of the rock glacier deformation occurs within shear horizons of creeping permafrost (Arenson et al, 2002;Haeberli et al, 1998). Velocity variations of rock glaciers are additionally affected by liquid water availability and ground water fluxes (Ikeda et al, 2008) after rain fall and snowmelt indicating increased pore water pressure temporarily enhancing shearing (Cicoira et al, 2019;Kenner et al, 2017;Wirz et al, 2016). Thus, the kinematics of rock glaciers interacts with their hydrology and ground temperatures (Kenner et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ice content and interannual water storage changes of an active rock glacier in the dry Andes of Argentina

Halla¹,

Blöthe²,

Baldis³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Abstract. The quantification of volumetric ice and water contents in active rock glaciers is necessary to estimate their role as water stores and contributors to runoff in dry mountain catchments. In the semi-arid to arid Andes of Argentina, active rock glaciers potentially constitute important water reservoirs due to their widespread distribution. Here however, water storage capacities and their interannual changes have so far escaped quantification in detailed field studies. Volumetric ice and water contents were quantified using a petrophysical four-phase model (4PM) based on complementary electrical resistivities (ERT) and seismic refraction tomographies (SRT) in different positions of Dos Lenguas rock glacier in the Upper Agua Negra basin, Argentina. We derived vertical and horizontal surface changes of the Dos Lenguas rock glacier, for the periods 2016–17 and 2017–18 using drone-derived digital elevation models (DEM). Interannual water storage changes of −36 mm yr−1 and +27 mm yr−1 derived from DEMs of Difference (DoD) for the periods 2016–17 and 2017–18, respectively, indicate that significant amounts of annual precipitation rates can be stored in and released from the active rock glacier. Heterogeneous ice and water contents show ice-rich permafrost and supra-, intra- and sub-permafrost aquifers in the subsurface. Active layer and ice-rich permafrost control traps and pathways of shallow ground water, and thus regulate interannual storage changes and water releases from the active rock glacier in the dry mountain catchment. The ice content of 1.7–2.0 × 109 kg in the active Dos Lenguas rock glacier represents an important long-term ice reservoir, just like other ground ice deposits in the vicinity, if compared to surface ice that covers less than 3 % of the high mountain catchment.

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“…Ice mass redistribution, water and thermal environment and dynamic balance of the glacier caused by glacier movement are the primary indicators and main mechanisms of glacier existence and development relative to other natural ice bodies. Seasonal variations in glacier velocity have often been linked to surface melt-induced basal lubrication 43 – 45 . Studies have shown that temperate glaciers move faster than continental glaciers of the same size 46 .…”

Section: Temporal and Spatial Dynamic Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatiotemporal dynamic characteristics of typical temperate glaciers in China

Wang

Che

Wei

2021

Sci Rep

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China’s temperate glaciers have a relatively warm and humid climate and hydrothermal conditions at low latitudes. Temperate glaciers, however, have larger ablation, higher ice temperatures, relatively fast movement speeds, and a significant sliding process at the bottom. As a result, these glaciers are more significantly affected by climate change. On the basis of topographic maps, aerial photography, and Landsat OLI images, and combined with existing research results, this paper systematically analyzed the temporal and spatial dynamic characteristics of typical temperate glaciers. The results are as follows: (1) From the 1950s to the 1970s, compared with other types of glaciers, temperate glaciers showed strong retreat and ablation trends in terms of area, length, speed, and mass balance. (2) The reduction rates of glacier areas of Kangri Garpo, Dagu Snow Mountain, Yulong Snow Mountain (YSM), and Meili Snow Mountain (MSM) in China’s temperate glacier areas all exceeded 38%, which was far above the national average of 18% from the 1950s to the 2010s. (3) The recent length retreat rates of Azha Glacier, Kangri Garpo, and Mingyong Glacier, MSM, Hailuogou Glacier (HG), Gongga Snow Mountain (GSM), and Baishui River Glacier No. 1 (BRGN1), YSM were above 22 m/a, which was faster than the retreat rates of other regions. (4) Consistent with glacier retreat, temperate glaciers also had a faster ice flow speed. The ice flow velocities of the BGN1, HG, Parlung River Glaciers No. 4 and 94, and Nyainqêntanglha were, respectively, 6.33–30.78 m/a, 41–205 m/a, 15.1–86.3 m/a, and 7.5–18.4 m/a, which was much faster than the velocity of other types of glaciers. (5) Mass loss of temperate glaciers was most dramatic during the observation period (1959–2015). The annual mass balance from eight typical temperate glaciers fluctuated between − 2.48 and 0.44 m w.e., and the annual average change rate of mass balance (− 0.037 m w.e./a) was much higher than that in China (− 0.015 m w.e./a, p < 0.0001) and globally (− 0.013 m w.e./a, p < 0.0001).

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Water controls the seasonal rhythm of rock glacier flow

Cited by 97 publications

References 38 publications

Insights into a remote cryosphere: a multi-method approach to assess permafrost occurrence at the Qugaqie basin, western Nyainqêntanglha Range, Tibetan Plateau

Insights into a remote cryosphere: a multi-method approach to assess permafrost occurrence at the Qugaqie basin, western Nyainqêntanglha Range, Tibetan Plateau

Ice content and interannual water storage changes of an active rock glacier in the dry Andes of Argentina

Spatiotemporal dynamic characteristics of typical temperate glaciers in China

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