Glacier–permafrost relations in a high-mountain environment: 5 decades of kinematic monitoring at the Gruben site, Swiss Alps
Digitized aerial images were used to monitor the evolution of perennially frozen debris and polythermal glacier ice at the intensely investigated Gruben site in the Swiss Alps over a period of about 50 years. The photogrammetric analysis allowed for a compilation of detailed spatio-temporal informat...
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Copernicus Publications
2022
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2083-2022 https://doaj.org/article/a5ef138e532d4b1e940a47fd6d9d4632 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:a5ef138e532d4b1e940a47fd6d9d4632 2023-05-15T16:37:26+02:00 Glacier–permafrost relations in a high-mountain environment: 5 decades of kinematic monitoring at the Gruben site, Swiss Alps I. Gärtner-Roer N. Brunner R. Delaloye W. Haeberli A. Kääb P. Thee 2022-05-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2083-2022 https://doaj.org/article/a5ef138e532d4b1e940a47fd6d9d4632 EN eng Copernicus Publications https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/16/2083/2022/tc-16-2083-2022.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-16-2083-2022 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/a5ef138e532d4b1e940a47fd6d9d4632 The Cryosphere, Vol 16, Pp 2083-2101 (2022) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2022 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2083-2022 2022-12-30T21:26:35Z Digitized aerial images were used to monitor the evolution of perennially frozen debris and polythermal glacier ice at the intensely investigated Gruben site in the Swiss Alps over a period of about 50 years. The photogrammetric analysis allowed for a compilation of detailed spatio-temporal information on flow velocities and thickness changes. In addition, high-resolution GNSS (global navigation satellite system) and ground surface temperature measurements were included in the analysis to provide insight into short-term changes. Over time, extremely contrasting developments and landform responses are documented. Viscous flow within the warming and already near-temperate rock glacier permafrost continued at a constant average but seasonally variable speed of typically decimetres per year, with average surface lowering limited to centimetres to a few decimetres per year. This constant flow causes the continued advance of the characteristic convex, lava-stream-like rock glacier with its oversteepened fronts. Thawing rates of ice-rich perennially frozen ground to strong climate forcing are very low (centimetres per year) and the dynamic response strongly delayed (timescale of decades to centuries). The adjacent cold debris-covered glacier tongue remained an essentially concave landform with diffuse margins, predominantly chaotic surface structure, intermediate thickness losses (decimetres per year), and clear signs of down-wasting and decreasing flow velocity. The former contact zone between the cold glacier margin and the upper part of the rock glacier with disappearing remains of buried glacier ice embedded on top of frozen debris exhibits complex phenomena of thermokarst in massive ice and backflow towards the topographic depression produced by the retreating glacier tongue. As is typical for glaciers in the Alps, the largely debris-free glacier part shows a rapid response (timescale of years) to strong climatic forcing with spectacular retreat ( > 10 m a −1 ) and mass loss (up to > 1 m w.e. specific mass ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Ice permafrost The Cryosphere Thermokarst Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Gruben ENVELOPE(14.223,14.223,66.318,66.318) The Cryosphere 16 5 2083 2101 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 I. Gärtner-Roer N. Brunner R. Delaloye W. Haeberli A. Kääb P. Thee Glacier–permafrost relations in a high-mountain environment: 5 decades of kinematic monitoring at the Gruben site, Swiss Alps |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Digitized aerial images were used to monitor the evolution of perennially frozen debris and polythermal glacier ice at the intensely investigated Gruben site in the Swiss Alps over a period of about 50 years. The photogrammetric analysis allowed for a compilation of detailed spatio-temporal information on flow velocities and thickness changes. In addition, high-resolution GNSS (global navigation satellite system) and ground surface temperature measurements were included in the analysis to provide insight into short-term changes. Over time, extremely contrasting developments and landform responses are documented. Viscous flow within the warming and already near-temperate rock glacier permafrost continued at a constant average but seasonally variable speed of typically decimetres per year, with average surface lowering limited to centimetres to a few decimetres per year. This constant flow causes the continued advance of the characteristic convex, lava-stream-like rock glacier with its oversteepened fronts. Thawing rates of ice-rich perennially frozen ground to strong climate forcing are very low (centimetres per year) and the dynamic response strongly delayed (timescale of decades to centuries). The adjacent cold debris-covered glacier tongue remained an essentially concave landform with diffuse margins, predominantly chaotic surface structure, intermediate thickness losses (decimetres per year), and clear signs of down-wasting and decreasing flow velocity. The former contact zone between the cold glacier margin and the upper part of the rock glacier with disappearing remains of buried glacier ice embedded on top of frozen debris exhibits complex phenomena of thermokarst in massive ice and backflow towards the topographic depression produced by the retreating glacier tongue. As is typical for glaciers in the Alps, the largely debris-free glacier part shows a rapid response (timescale of years) to strong climatic forcing with spectacular retreat ( > 10 m a −1 ) and mass loss (up to > 1 m w.e. specific mass ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
I. Gärtner-Roer N. Brunner R. Delaloye W. Haeberli A. Kääb P. Thee |
author_facet |
I. Gärtner-Roer N. Brunner R. Delaloye W. Haeberli A. Kääb P. Thee |
author_sort |
I. Gärtner-Roer |
title |
Glacier–permafrost relations in a high-mountain environment: 5 decades of kinematic monitoring at the Gruben site, Swiss Alps |
title_short |
Glacier–permafrost relations in a high-mountain environment: 5 decades of kinematic monitoring at the Gruben site, Swiss Alps |
title_full |
Glacier–permafrost relations in a high-mountain environment: 5 decades of kinematic monitoring at the Gruben site, Swiss Alps |
title_fullStr |
Glacier–permafrost relations in a high-mountain environment: 5 decades of kinematic monitoring at the Gruben site, Swiss Alps |
title_full_unstemmed |
Glacier–permafrost relations in a high-mountain environment: 5 decades of kinematic monitoring at the Gruben site, Swiss Alps |
title_sort |
glacier–permafrost relations in a high-mountain environment: 5 decades of kinematic monitoring at the gruben site, swiss alps |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2083-2022 https://doaj.org/article/a5ef138e532d4b1e940a47fd6d9d4632 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(14.223,14.223,66.318,66.318) |
geographic |
Gruben |
geographic_facet |
Gruben |
genre |
Ice permafrost The Cryosphere Thermokarst |
genre_facet |
Ice permafrost The Cryosphere Thermokarst |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 16, Pp 2083-2101 (2022) |
op_relation |
https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/16/2083/2022/tc-16-2083-2022.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-16-2083-2022 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/a5ef138e532d4b1e940a47fd6d9d4632 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2083-2022 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
16 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
2083 |
op_container_end_page |
2101 |
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1766027726032994304 |