Rapid movement of frozen debris-lobes: implications for permafrost degradation and slope instability in the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska
We present the results of a reconnaissance investigation of unusual debris mass-movement features on permafrost slopes that pose a potential infrastructure hazard in the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska. For the purpose of this paper, we describe these features as frozen debris-lobes. We focus on...
Published in: | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
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Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2012
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ftnonlinearchiv:oai:noa.gwlb.de:cop_mods_00025794 2023-05-15T15:46:58+02:00 Rapid movement of frozen debris-lobes: implications for permafrost degradation and slope instability in the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska Daanen, R. P. Grosse, G. Darrow, M. M. Hamilton, T. D. Jones, B. M. 2012-05 electronic https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-1521-2012 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00025794 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00025749/nhess-12-1521-2012.pdf https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/12/1521/2012/nhess-12-1521-2012.pdf eng eng Copernicus Publications Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences -- http://www.bibliothek.uni-regensburg.de/ezeit/?2064587 -- http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/ -- 1684-9981 https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-1521-2012 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00025794 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00025749/nhess-12-1521-2012.pdf https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/12/1521/2012/nhess-12-1521-2012.pdf uneingeschränkt info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article Verlagsveröffentlichung article Text doc-type:article 2012 ftnonlinearchiv https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-1521-2012 2022-02-08T22:49:34Z We present the results of a reconnaissance investigation of unusual debris mass-movement features on permafrost slopes that pose a potential infrastructure hazard in the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska. For the purpose of this paper, we describe these features as frozen debris-lobes. We focus on the characterisation of frozen debris-lobes as indicators of various movement processes using ground-based surveys, remote sensing, field and laboratory measurements, and time-lapse observations of frozen debris-lobe systems along the Dalton Highway. Currently, some frozen debris-lobes exceed 100 m in width, 20 m in height and 1000 m in length. Our results indicate that frozen debris-lobes have responded to climate change by becoming increasingly active during the last decades, resulting in rapid downslope movement. Movement indicators observed in the field include toppling trees, slumps and scarps, detachment slides, striation marks on frozen sediment slabs, recently buried trees and other vegetation, mudflows, and large cracks in the lobe surface. The type and diversity of observed indicators suggest that the lobes likely consist of a frozen debris core, are subject to creep, and seasonally unfrozen surface sediment is transported in warm seasons by creep, slumping, viscous flow, blockfall and leaching of fines, and in cold seasons by creep and sliding of frozen sediment slabs. Ground-based measurements on one frozen debris-lobe over three years (2008–2010) revealed average movement rates of approximately 1 cm day−1, which is substantially larger than rates measured in historic aerial photography from the 1950s to 1980s. We discuss how climate change may further influence frozen debris-lobe dynamics, potentially accelerating their movement. We highlight the potential direct hazard that one of the studied frozen debris-lobes may pose in the coming years and decades to the nearby Trans Alaska Pipeline System and the Dalton Highway, the main artery for transportation between Interior Alaska and the North Slope. Article in Journal/Newspaper Brooks Range north slope permafrost Alaska Niedersächsisches Online-Archiv NOA Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 12 5 1521 1537 |
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Niedersächsisches Online-Archiv NOA |
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English |
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article Verlagsveröffentlichung |
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article Verlagsveröffentlichung Daanen, R. P. Grosse, G. Darrow, M. M. Hamilton, T. D. Jones, B. M. Rapid movement of frozen debris-lobes: implications for permafrost degradation and slope instability in the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska |
topic_facet |
article Verlagsveröffentlichung |
description |
We present the results of a reconnaissance investigation of unusual debris mass-movement features on permafrost slopes that pose a potential infrastructure hazard in the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska. For the purpose of this paper, we describe these features as frozen debris-lobes. We focus on the characterisation of frozen debris-lobes as indicators of various movement processes using ground-based surveys, remote sensing, field and laboratory measurements, and time-lapse observations of frozen debris-lobe systems along the Dalton Highway. Currently, some frozen debris-lobes exceed 100 m in width, 20 m in height and 1000 m in length. Our results indicate that frozen debris-lobes have responded to climate change by becoming increasingly active during the last decades, resulting in rapid downslope movement. Movement indicators observed in the field include toppling trees, slumps and scarps, detachment slides, striation marks on frozen sediment slabs, recently buried trees and other vegetation, mudflows, and large cracks in the lobe surface. The type and diversity of observed indicators suggest that the lobes likely consist of a frozen debris core, are subject to creep, and seasonally unfrozen surface sediment is transported in warm seasons by creep, slumping, viscous flow, blockfall and leaching of fines, and in cold seasons by creep and sliding of frozen sediment slabs. Ground-based measurements on one frozen debris-lobe over three years (2008–2010) revealed average movement rates of approximately 1 cm day−1, which is substantially larger than rates measured in historic aerial photography from the 1950s to 1980s. We discuss how climate change may further influence frozen debris-lobe dynamics, potentially accelerating their movement. We highlight the potential direct hazard that one of the studied frozen debris-lobes may pose in the coming years and decades to the nearby Trans Alaska Pipeline System and the Dalton Highway, the main artery for transportation between Interior Alaska and the North Slope. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Daanen, R. P. Grosse, G. Darrow, M. M. Hamilton, T. D. Jones, B. M. |
author_facet |
Daanen, R. P. Grosse, G. Darrow, M. M. Hamilton, T. D. Jones, B. M. |
author_sort |
Daanen, R. P. |
title |
Rapid movement of frozen debris-lobes: implications for permafrost degradation and slope instability in the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska |
title_short |
Rapid movement of frozen debris-lobes: implications for permafrost degradation and slope instability in the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska |
title_full |
Rapid movement of frozen debris-lobes: implications for permafrost degradation and slope instability in the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska |
title_fullStr |
Rapid movement of frozen debris-lobes: implications for permafrost degradation and slope instability in the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska |
title_full_unstemmed |
Rapid movement of frozen debris-lobes: implications for permafrost degradation and slope instability in the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska |
title_sort |
rapid movement of frozen debris-lobes: implications for permafrost degradation and slope instability in the south-central brooks range, alaska |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-1521-2012 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00025794 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00025749/nhess-12-1521-2012.pdf https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/12/1521/2012/nhess-12-1521-2012.pdf |
genre |
Brooks Range north slope permafrost Alaska |
genre_facet |
Brooks Range north slope permafrost Alaska |
op_relation |
Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences -- http://www.bibliothek.uni-regensburg.de/ezeit/?2064587 -- http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/ -- 1684-9981 https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-1521-2012 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00025794 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00025749/nhess-12-1521-2012.pdf https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/12/1521/2012/nhess-12-1521-2012.pdf |
op_rights |
uneingeschränkt info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-1521-2012 |
container_title |
Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
1521 |
op_container_end_page |
1537 |
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1766381781557182464 |