Rock Slope Failure (RSF) in the Western Alps: a systematic inventory with perspectives on causes, geohazards and geoheritage
The study of rockslope failure (RSF) is usually focused on the instrumental monitoring of hazardous sites, sometimes extended to a population of RSF in a valley or massif. Few studies survey and analyse RSF at the much broader scale of a mountain range. Here we produce a systematic inventory of RSF...
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Other Authors: | , , , , , , |
Format: | Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis |
Language: | French |
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HAL CCSD
2018
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://hal.science/tel-01913532 https://hal.science/tel-01913532/document https://hal.science/tel-01913532/file/Th%C3%A8se_Sylvain_Blondeau%20%281%29.pdf |
id |
ftunivstetienne:oai:HAL:tel-01913532v1 |
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record_format |
openpolar |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Université Jean Monnet – Saint-Etienne: HAL |
op_collection_id |
ftunivstetienne |
language |
French |
topic |
Slope tectonics Landform classification Spatial incidence Lithology Holocene Permafrost Paraglacial processes Seismicity Geoheritage Pergélisol Lithologie Incidence spatiale classification de ruptures rocheuses Tectonique de versant Sismicité Géopatrimoine Processus paraglaciaires [SHS.GEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Geography [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environment and Society |
spellingShingle |
Slope tectonics Landform classification Spatial incidence Lithology Holocene Permafrost Paraglacial processes Seismicity Geoheritage Pergélisol Lithologie Incidence spatiale classification de ruptures rocheuses Tectonique de versant Sismicité Géopatrimoine Processus paraglaciaires [SHS.GEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Geography [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environment and Society Blondeau, Sylvain Rock Slope Failure (RSF) in the Western Alps: a systematic inventory with perspectives on causes, geohazards and geoheritage |
topic_facet |
Slope tectonics Landform classification Spatial incidence Lithology Holocene Permafrost Paraglacial processes Seismicity Geoheritage Pergélisol Lithologie Incidence spatiale classification de ruptures rocheuses Tectonique de versant Sismicité Géopatrimoine Processus paraglaciaires [SHS.GEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Geography [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environment and Society |
description |
The study of rockslope failure (RSF) is usually focused on the instrumental monitoring of hazardous sites, sometimes extended to a population of RSF in a valley or massif. Few studies survey and analyse RSF at the much broader scale of a mountain range. Here we produce a systematic inventory of RSF in the Western Alps based on satellite imagery provided by the open-access platform Google Earth Pro™, and using a series ofground-truth-tested visual detection methods. Based on a categorisation inspired by existing classifications but adapted to the range of RSF observed in the study area, five main RSF types were identified: rockfalls and rock avalanches, rockslides, earthflows, deep-seated gravitational slope deformations (DSGSD), and slope deformations. We analyse the spatial incidence of those five categories in relation to a range of likelycumulative causes. The analysis covers lithology and rock fabric, geological structure (faults, thrust fronts), seismicity, slope angle, local relief, the intensity of Würmian glaciation, modern rainfall patterns, and permafrost degradation. Results from a total population of 1400 RSF occurrences show that RSF incidence and mode are overwhelmingly susceptible to rock type, but that local relief enhanced by past glaciation generatesthe gravitational potential needed to move the rock masses. Other conditional factors receive lower rankings at the regional scale, but stronger connections appear in local settings. At places, RSF size or density are seen to correlate with faults, thrust fronts, and with permafrost degradation (restricted, however, to the rockfall category). Among all the likely causes of RSF, rainfall totals represent the weakest link. Among the 1400 siteswe focus on a subset of flagship RSF occurrences that we consider relevant to either geoheritage or land-use planning concerns. The criteria were selected on the basis of morphological characteristics (uniqueness, educational and scientific value) or from the perspective of the hazards that some of the displaced ... |
author2 |
Environnement, Ville, Société (EVS) École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon)-École des Mines de Saint-Étienne (Mines Saint-Étienne MSE) Institut Mines-Télécom Paris (IMT)-Institut Mines-Télécom Paris (IMT)-Université Lumière - Lyon 2 (UL2)-Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 (UJML) Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (INSA Lyon) Université de Lyon-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne (UJM)-École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État (ENTPE)-École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Lyon (ENSAL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Université Lyon 2 Lumière Yanni Gunnell |
format |
Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis |
author |
Blondeau, Sylvain |
author_facet |
Blondeau, Sylvain |
author_sort |
Blondeau, Sylvain |
title |
Rock Slope Failure (RSF) in the Western Alps: a systematic inventory with perspectives on causes, geohazards and geoheritage |
title_short |
Rock Slope Failure (RSF) in the Western Alps: a systematic inventory with perspectives on causes, geohazards and geoheritage |
title_full |
Rock Slope Failure (RSF) in the Western Alps: a systematic inventory with perspectives on causes, geohazards and geoheritage |
title_fullStr |
Rock Slope Failure (RSF) in the Western Alps: a systematic inventory with perspectives on causes, geohazards and geoheritage |
title_full_unstemmed |
Rock Slope Failure (RSF) in the Western Alps: a systematic inventory with perspectives on causes, geohazards and geoheritage |
title_sort |
rock slope failure (rsf) in the western alps: a systematic inventory with perspectives on causes, geohazards and geoheritage |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://hal.science/tel-01913532 https://hal.science/tel-01913532/document https://hal.science/tel-01913532/file/Th%C3%A8se_Sylvain_Blondeau%20%281%29.pdf |
genre |
permafrost pergélisol |
genre_facet |
permafrost pergélisol |
op_source |
https://hal.science/tel-01913532 Géographie. Université Lyon 2 Lumière, 2018. Français. ⟨NNT : ⟩ |
op_relation |
tel-01913532 https://hal.science/tel-01913532 https://hal.science/tel-01913532/document https://hal.science/tel-01913532/file/Th%C3%A8se_Sylvain_Blondeau%20%281%29.pdf |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
_version_ |
1810471450336821248 |
spelling |
ftunivstetienne:oai:HAL:tel-01913532v1 2024-09-15T18:29:57+00:00 Rock Slope Failure (RSF) in the Western Alps: a systematic inventory with perspectives on causes, geohazards and geoheritage Ruptures de Versant Rocheux (RVR) à l’échelle des Alpes occidentales : inventaire systématique, analyse spatiale, perspectives patrimoniales Blondeau, Sylvain Environnement, Ville, Société (EVS) École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon)-École des Mines de Saint-Étienne (Mines Saint-Étienne MSE) Institut Mines-Télécom Paris (IMT)-Institut Mines-Télécom Paris (IMT)-Université Lumière - Lyon 2 (UL2)-Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 (UJML) Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (INSA Lyon) Université de Lyon-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne (UJM)-École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État (ENTPE)-École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Lyon (ENSAL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Université Lyon 2 Lumière Yanni Gunnell 2018-10-02 https://hal.science/tel-01913532 https://hal.science/tel-01913532/document https://hal.science/tel-01913532/file/Th%C3%A8se_Sylvain_Blondeau%20%281%29.pdf fr fre HAL CCSD tel-01913532 https://hal.science/tel-01913532 https://hal.science/tel-01913532/document https://hal.science/tel-01913532/file/Th%C3%A8se_Sylvain_Blondeau%20%281%29.pdf info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess https://hal.science/tel-01913532 Géographie. Université Lyon 2 Lumière, 2018. Français. ⟨NNT : ⟩ Slope tectonics Landform classification Spatial incidence Lithology Holocene Permafrost Paraglacial processes Seismicity Geoheritage Pergélisol Lithologie Incidence spatiale classification de ruptures rocheuses Tectonique de versant Sismicité Géopatrimoine Processus paraglaciaires [SHS.GEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Geography [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environment and Society info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis Theses 2018 ftunivstetienne 2024-07-09T00:05:38Z The study of rockslope failure (RSF) is usually focused on the instrumental monitoring of hazardous sites, sometimes extended to a population of RSF in a valley or massif. Few studies survey and analyse RSF at the much broader scale of a mountain range. Here we produce a systematic inventory of RSF in the Western Alps based on satellite imagery provided by the open-access platform Google Earth Pro™, and using a series ofground-truth-tested visual detection methods. Based on a categorisation inspired by existing classifications but adapted to the range of RSF observed in the study area, five main RSF types were identified: rockfalls and rock avalanches, rockslides, earthflows, deep-seated gravitational slope deformations (DSGSD), and slope deformations. We analyse the spatial incidence of those five categories in relation to a range of likelycumulative causes. The analysis covers lithology and rock fabric, geological structure (faults, thrust fronts), seismicity, slope angle, local relief, the intensity of Würmian glaciation, modern rainfall patterns, and permafrost degradation. Results from a total population of 1400 RSF occurrences show that RSF incidence and mode are overwhelmingly susceptible to rock type, but that local relief enhanced by past glaciation generatesthe gravitational potential needed to move the rock masses. Other conditional factors receive lower rankings at the regional scale, but stronger connections appear in local settings. At places, RSF size or density are seen to correlate with faults, thrust fronts, and with permafrost degradation (restricted, however, to the rockfall category). Among all the likely causes of RSF, rainfall totals represent the weakest link. Among the 1400 siteswe focus on a subset of flagship RSF occurrences that we consider relevant to either geoheritage or land-use planning concerns. The criteria were selected on the basis of morphological characteristics (uniqueness, educational and scientific value) or from the perspective of the hazards that some of the displaced ... Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis permafrost pergélisol Université Jean Monnet – Saint-Etienne: HAL |