Avalanche Defence Strategies and Monitoring of Two Sites in Mountain Permafrost Terrain, Pontresina, Eastern Swiss Alps
Abstract. Snow-supporting avalanche defence structures are increasingly being built at high altitudes in potential permafrost areas. Special construction methods and guidelines have been developed to ensure a minimal stability of the structures, which have a vital role in the protection of underlyin...
Main Author: | |
---|---|
Other Authors: | |
Format: | Text |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2004
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.652.4662 http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/787/art%3A10.1007/s11069-005-6126-x.pdf?auth66%3D1418245905_0a088d34258a12637ecbf67a401e1ec9%26ext%3D.pdf |
id |
ftciteseerx:oai:CiteSeerX.psu:10.1.1.652.4662 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftciteseerx:oai:CiteSeerX.psu:10.1.1.652.4662 2023-05-15T16:36:49+02:00 Avalanche Defence Strategies and Monitoring of Two Sites in Mountain Permafrost Terrain, Pontresina, Eastern Swiss Alps Marcia Phillipsw The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives 2004 application/pdf http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.652.4662 http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/787/art%3A10.1007/s11069-005-6126-x.pdf?auth66%3D1418245905_0a088d34258a12637ecbf67a401e1ec9%26ext%3D.pdf en eng http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.652.4662 http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/787/art%3A10.1007/s11069-005-6126-x.pdf?auth66%3D1418245905_0a088d34258a12637ecbf67a401e1ec9%26ext%3D.pdf Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/787/art%3A10.1007/s11069-005-6126-x.pdf?auth66%3D1418245905_0a088d34258a12637ecbf67a401e1ec9%26ext%3D.pdf the latter category snow-supporting structures which are designed to retain text 2004 ftciteseerx 2016-01-08T16:27:25Z Abstract. Snow-supporting avalanche defence structures are increasingly being built at high altitudes in potential permafrost areas. Special construction methods and guidelines have been developed to ensure a minimal stability of the structures, which have a vital role in the protection of underlying settlements and transport infrastructure against snow avalanches. If the avalanche slopes are located on ice-rich permafrost terrain, as is the case in a steep avalanche gully above Pontresina (Eastern Swiss Alps), other means of protection must be used – such as deflection or retention dams – as construction on ice-rich sediments can be very problematic. Experimental snow-supporting structures were built in 1997 in order to test different types of structures and their foundations, to develop specially adapted construction methods and to monitor the long-term behaviour of the structures in moderately creeping frozen ground with volumetric ice contents under 20%. Snow-nets were found to be the most suitable type of protection against avalanches in this type of permafrost terrain due to their deformability and because they are well adapted to rock fall. The structures do not improve slope stability but contribute towards maintaining permafrost as they delay snow melt by modifying the spatial and temporal distribution of the snow cover. The results of the project described have led to a better understanding of permafrost-related avalanche defence prob-lems. Text Ice permafrost Unknown |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Unknown |
op_collection_id |
ftciteseerx |
language |
English |
topic |
the latter category snow-supporting structures which are designed to retain |
spellingShingle |
the latter category snow-supporting structures which are designed to retain Marcia Phillipsw Avalanche Defence Strategies and Monitoring of Two Sites in Mountain Permafrost Terrain, Pontresina, Eastern Swiss Alps |
topic_facet |
the latter category snow-supporting structures which are designed to retain |
description |
Abstract. Snow-supporting avalanche defence structures are increasingly being built at high altitudes in potential permafrost areas. Special construction methods and guidelines have been developed to ensure a minimal stability of the structures, which have a vital role in the protection of underlying settlements and transport infrastructure against snow avalanches. If the avalanche slopes are located on ice-rich permafrost terrain, as is the case in a steep avalanche gully above Pontresina (Eastern Swiss Alps), other means of protection must be used – such as deflection or retention dams – as construction on ice-rich sediments can be very problematic. Experimental snow-supporting structures were built in 1997 in order to test different types of structures and their foundations, to develop specially adapted construction methods and to monitor the long-term behaviour of the structures in moderately creeping frozen ground with volumetric ice contents under 20%. Snow-nets were found to be the most suitable type of protection against avalanches in this type of permafrost terrain due to their deformability and because they are well adapted to rock fall. The structures do not improve slope stability but contribute towards maintaining permafrost as they delay snow melt by modifying the spatial and temporal distribution of the snow cover. The results of the project described have led to a better understanding of permafrost-related avalanche defence prob-lems. |
author2 |
The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives |
format |
Text |
author |
Marcia Phillipsw |
author_facet |
Marcia Phillipsw |
author_sort |
Marcia Phillipsw |
title |
Avalanche Defence Strategies and Monitoring of Two Sites in Mountain Permafrost Terrain, Pontresina, Eastern Swiss Alps |
title_short |
Avalanche Defence Strategies and Monitoring of Two Sites in Mountain Permafrost Terrain, Pontresina, Eastern Swiss Alps |
title_full |
Avalanche Defence Strategies and Monitoring of Two Sites in Mountain Permafrost Terrain, Pontresina, Eastern Swiss Alps |
title_fullStr |
Avalanche Defence Strategies and Monitoring of Two Sites in Mountain Permafrost Terrain, Pontresina, Eastern Swiss Alps |
title_full_unstemmed |
Avalanche Defence Strategies and Monitoring of Two Sites in Mountain Permafrost Terrain, Pontresina, Eastern Swiss Alps |
title_sort |
avalanche defence strategies and monitoring of two sites in mountain permafrost terrain, pontresina, eastern swiss alps |
publishDate |
2004 |
url |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.652.4662 http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/787/art%3A10.1007/s11069-005-6126-x.pdf?auth66%3D1418245905_0a088d34258a12637ecbf67a401e1ec9%26ext%3D.pdf |
genre |
Ice permafrost |
genre_facet |
Ice permafrost |
op_source |
http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/787/art%3A10.1007/s11069-005-6126-x.pdf?auth66%3D1418245905_0a088d34258a12637ecbf67a401e1ec9%26ext%3D.pdf |
op_relation |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.652.4662 http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/787/art%3A10.1007/s11069-005-6126-x.pdf?auth66%3D1418245905_0a088d34258a12637ecbf67a401e1ec9%26ext%3D.pdf |
op_rights |
Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. |
_version_ |
1766027146823729152 |