Acceleration and interannual variability of creep rates in mountain permafrost landforms (rock glacier velocities) in the European Alps in 1995–2022

• Published in: Environmental Research Letters
• Main Authors: Kellerer-Pirklbauer, Andreas, Bodin, Xavier, Delaloye, Reynald, Lambiel, Christophe, Gärtner-Roer, Isabelle, Bonnefoy-Demongeot, Mylène, Carturan, Luca, Damm, Bodo, Eulenstein, Julia, Fischer, Andrea, Hartl, Lea, Ikeda, Atsushi, Kaufmann, Viktor, Krainer, Karl, Matsuoka, Norikazu, Morra Di Cella, Umberto, Noetzli, Jeannette, Seppi, Roberto, Scapozza, Cristian, Schoeneich, Philippe, Stocker-Waldhuber, Martin, Thibert, Emmanuel, Zumiani, Matteo
• Other Authors: Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Environnements, Dynamiques et Territoires de Montagne (EDYTEM), Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Fribourg = University of Fribourg (UNIFR), Université de Lausanne = University of Lausanne (UNIL), Universität Zürich Zürich = University of Zurich (UZH), Risques gravitaires et cryosphère en montagne (ECRINS), Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement (IGE), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP ), Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP ), Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA), Università degli Studi di Padova = University of Padua (Unipd), University of Vechta = Universität Vechta, Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design, The University of Tokyo (UTokyo), Technische Universität Graz (TU Graz), Universität Innsbruck Innsbruck, Université de Tsukuba = University of Tsukuba, Aosta Valley Regional Environmental Protection Agency (ARPA), Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Università degli Studi di Pavia = University of Pavia (UNIPV), Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana = University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland Manno (SUPSI), Pacte, Laboratoire de sciences sociales (PACTE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Sciences Po Grenoble - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble (IEPG)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2024
• Subjects: [SDU.STU.GM]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Geomorphology; [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-04474759; https://hal.science/hal-04474759/document; https://hal.science/hal-04474759/file/Kellerer-Pirklbauer_2024_Environ._Res._Lett._19_034022.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad25a4

International audience Cryospheric long-term timeseries get increasingly important. To document climate-related effects on long-term viscous creep of ice-rich mountain permafrost, we investigated timeseries (1995–2022) of geodetically-derived Rock Glacier Velocity (RGV), i.e. spatially averaged interannual velocity timeseries related to a rock glacier (RG) unit or part of it. We considered 50 RGV from 43 RGs spatially covering the entire European Alps. Eight of these RGs are destabilized. Results show that RGV are distinctly variable ranging from 0.04 to 6.23 m a −1 . Acceleration and deceleration at many RGs are highly correlated with similar behaviour over 2.5 decades for 15 timeseries. In addition to a general long-term, warming-induced trend of increasing velocities, three main phases of distinct acceleration (2000–2004, 2008–2015, 2018–2020), interrupted by deceleration or steady state conditions, were identified. The evolution is attributed to climate forcing and underlines the significance of RGV as a product of the Essential Climate Variable (ECV) permafrost. We show that RGV data are valuable as climate indicators, but such data should always be assessed critically considering changing local factors (geomorphic, thermal, hydrologic) and monitoring approaches. To extract a climate signal, larger RGV ensembles should be analysed. Criteria for selecting new RGV-sites are proposed.