A network of observers in the Mont Blanc massif to study rockfalls in high alpine rockwalls

The study of rockfall (volume > 100 m3) in high mountain is essential to understand landscape evolution and to evaluate natural hazards. The number of rockfalls is presently rising in the Alps, while vulnerability is increasing at high elevation and in valleys. Due to the lack of systematic obser...

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Main Authors: Ravanel, Ludovic, Deline, Philip
Other Authors: 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)
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: HAL CCSD 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hal.science/halsde-00949765
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spelling ftunigrenoble:oai:HAL:halsde-00949765v1 2024-05-12T08:09:53+00:00 A network of observers in the Mont Blanc massif to study rockfalls in high alpine rockwalls Ravanel, Ludovic Deline, Philip 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) 2013 https://hal.science/halsde-00949765 en eng HAL CCSD Comitato Glaciologico Italiano halsde-00949765 https://hal.science/halsde-00949765 ISSN: 0391-9838 Geografia Fisica e Dinamica Quaternaria https://hal.science/halsde-00949765 Geografia Fisica e Dinamica Quaternaria, 2013, 36, pp. 151-158 info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2013 ftunigrenoble 2024-04-18T02:09:43Z The study of rockfall (volume > 100 m3) in high mountain is essential to understand landscape evolution and to evaluate natural hazards. The number of rockfalls is presently rising in the Alps, while vulnerability is increasing at high elevation and in valleys. Due to the lack of systematic observations, frequency and volume of rockfalls, as well as their triggering factors remain poorly understood. Until today, most of the studies on rockfall carried out in high Alpine rockwalls were indeed devoted to individual events, while systematic surveys are needed to clarify the role of regional factors such as permafrost degradation. Here we present the network of observers (guides, hut keepers, mountaineers) which sets aside the documentation of all the rockfall events that occur in the central part of the Mont-Blanc massif. Operational since 2007, this network allowed identifying and documenting 251 rockfalls between 2007 and 2011. Checked and completed each year by extensive field work, data from the network are then analysed through a Geographic Information System to statistically characterise these rockfalls. The results of the first five years of survey indicate that permafrost degradation is the main rockfall triggering factor. Article in Journal/Newspaper permafrost Université Grenoble Alpes: HAL Mont Blanc ENVELOPE(69.468,69.468,-49.461,-49.461)
institution Open Polar
collection Université Grenoble Alpes: HAL
op_collection_id ftunigrenoble
language English
description The study of rockfall (volume > 100 m3) in high mountain is essential to understand landscape evolution and to evaluate natural hazards. The number of rockfalls is presently rising in the Alps, while vulnerability is increasing at high elevation and in valleys. Due to the lack of systematic observations, frequency and volume of rockfalls, as well as their triggering factors remain poorly understood. Until today, most of the studies on rockfall carried out in high Alpine rockwalls were indeed devoted to individual events, while systematic surveys are needed to clarify the role of regional factors such as permafrost degradation. Here we present the network of observers (guides, hut keepers, mountaineers) which sets aside the documentation of all the rockfall events that occur in the central part of the Mont-Blanc massif. Operational since 2007, this network allowed identifying and documenting 251 rockfalls between 2007 and 2011. Checked and completed each year by extensive field work, data from the network are then analysed through a Geographic Information System to statistically characterise these rockfalls. The results of the first five years of survey indicate that permafrost degradation is the main rockfall triggering factor.
author2 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)
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Ravanel, Ludovic
Deline, Philip
spellingShingle Ravanel, Ludovic
Deline, Philip
A network of observers in the Mont Blanc massif to study rockfalls in high alpine rockwalls
author_facet Ravanel, Ludovic
Deline, Philip
author_sort Ravanel, Ludovic
title A network of observers in the Mont Blanc massif to study rockfalls in high alpine rockwalls
title_short A network of observers in the Mont Blanc massif to study rockfalls in high alpine rockwalls
title_full A network of observers in the Mont Blanc massif to study rockfalls in high alpine rockwalls
title_fullStr A network of observers in the Mont Blanc massif to study rockfalls in high alpine rockwalls
title_full_unstemmed A network of observers in the Mont Blanc massif to study rockfalls in high alpine rockwalls
title_sort network of observers in the mont blanc massif to study rockfalls in high alpine rockwalls
publisher HAL CCSD
publishDate 2013
url https://hal.science/halsde-00949765
long_lat ENVELOPE(69.468,69.468,-49.461,-49.461)
geographic Mont Blanc
geographic_facet Mont Blanc
genre permafrost
genre_facet permafrost
op_source ISSN: 0391-9838
Geografia Fisica e Dinamica Quaternaria
https://hal.science/halsde-00949765
Geografia Fisica e Dinamica Quaternaria, 2013, 36, pp. 151-158
op_relation halsde-00949765
https://hal.science/halsde-00949765
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