GLAZIOLOGIE UND GEOMORPHODYNAMIK 44

• Main Authors: Schriftenreihe Physische Geographie, Prof Dr, Wilfried Haeberli, Max Maisch
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Glacial Lake; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.132.1175; http://www.dissertationen.unizh.ch/2004/huggel/diss.pdf

Starting zone of Kolka/Karmadon rock/ice avalanche in the Russian Caucasus (September 2002) showing Dzhimarai-khokh (4780 m a.s.l.) and the eroded Kolka glacier on the valley bottom (photo: I. Galushkin) Summary Research on glacial hazards is challenged by current natural and human-induced and-related developments. Climate change strongly influences the dynamics in glacial and periglacial environments. Strong retreat of mountain glaciers and permafrost degradation can lead to conditions never experienced in historical times and modify related hazard effects. Parallel intensification of human activity in mountain areas accentuates potential conflicts with natural hazards. Such rapid changes necessarily require monitoring techniques and models to simulate the effects of adverse natural processes on human systems. This study is concerned with hazards from ice avalanches, glacial lake outbursts, periglacial debris flows and related interactions. The lack of rigorous methods for assessment of glacial hazards was motivation to present a concept of glacial hazards