A low‐angle slushflow in the Kirgiz Range, Kirgizstan

Abstract A rare observation of a slushflow that released on a low‐angle slope was made on 16 May 1992 in the West Karakol Valley, southern Kirgiz Range, Kirgizstan. The slushflow released on a short slope of 6° and travelled a distance of 140 m over a slope with a mean angle of 3° with a mean channe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Permafrost and Periglacial Processes
Main Authors: Elder, K., Kattelmann, R.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 1993
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ppp.3430040403
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fppp.3430040403
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ppp.3430040403
Description
Summary:Abstract A rare observation of a slushflow that released on a low‐angle slope was made on 16 May 1992 in the West Karakol Valley, southern Kirgiz Range, Kirgizstan. The slushflow released on a short slope of 6° and travelled a distance of 140 m over a slope with a mean angle of 3° with a mean channel width of about 4 m. Total volume of snow and slush transported by the slide was more than 200 m 3 with an estimated mass of 200,000 kg. Estimated velocity of the flow was 5 ms −1 . Meteorological conditions preceding the event included heavy cloud cover and clear skies with warm temperatures. Rain fell for about six hours during the day before the event. Mixed rain and snow precipitation continued through the preceding night accompanied by steady high winds. The day of the release was warm with overcast skies and light rain. The snowpack was generally saturated to the surface at the time of the release, and water was flowing over the snow surface in the path of the slushflow.