Alpine rockwall erosion patterns follow elevation-dependent climate trajectories
Mountainous topography reflects an interplay between tectonic uplift, crustal strength, and climate-conditioned erosion cycles. During glaciations, glacial erosion increases bedrock relief, whereas during interglacials relief is lowered by rockwall erosion. Here, we show that paraglacial, frost crac...
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ftunivutrecht:oai:dspace.library.uu.nl:1874/426409 2023-07-23T04:21:21+02:00 Alpine rockwall erosion patterns follow elevation-dependent climate trajectories Draebing, Daniel Mayer, Till Jacobs, Benjamin McColl, Samuel T. Landdegradatie en aardobservatie 2022-02-09 application/pdf https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/426409 en eng 2662-4435 https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/426409 info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess Article 2022 ftunivutrecht 2023-07-02T03:52:37Z Mountainous topography reflects an interplay between tectonic uplift, crustal strength, and climate-conditioned erosion cycles. During glaciations, glacial erosion increases bedrock relief, whereas during interglacials relief is lowered by rockwall erosion. Here, we show that paraglacial, frost cracking and permafrost processes jointly drive postglacial rockwall erosion in our research area. Field observations and modelling experiments demonstrate that all three processes are strongly conditioned by elevation. Our findings on catchment scale provide a potential multi-process explanation for the increase of rockwall erosion rates with elevation across the European Alps. As alpine basins warm during deglaciation, changing intensities and elevation-dependent interactions between periglacial and paraglacial processes result in elevational shifts in rockwall erosion patterns. Future climate warming will shift the intensity and elevation distribution of these processes, resulting in overall lower erosion rates across the Alps, but with more intensified erosion at the highest topography most sensitive to climate change. Article in Journal/Newspaper permafrost Utrecht University Repository |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Utrecht University Repository |
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ftunivutrecht |
language |
English |
description |
Mountainous topography reflects an interplay between tectonic uplift, crustal strength, and climate-conditioned erosion cycles. During glaciations, glacial erosion increases bedrock relief, whereas during interglacials relief is lowered by rockwall erosion. Here, we show that paraglacial, frost cracking and permafrost processes jointly drive postglacial rockwall erosion in our research area. Field observations and modelling experiments demonstrate that all three processes are strongly conditioned by elevation. Our findings on catchment scale provide a potential multi-process explanation for the increase of rockwall erosion rates with elevation across the European Alps. As alpine basins warm during deglaciation, changing intensities and elevation-dependent interactions between periglacial and paraglacial processes result in elevational shifts in rockwall erosion patterns. Future climate warming will shift the intensity and elevation distribution of these processes, resulting in overall lower erosion rates across the Alps, but with more intensified erosion at the highest topography most sensitive to climate change. |
author2 |
Landdegradatie en aardobservatie |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Draebing, Daniel Mayer, Till Jacobs, Benjamin McColl, Samuel T. |
spellingShingle |
Draebing, Daniel Mayer, Till Jacobs, Benjamin McColl, Samuel T. Alpine rockwall erosion patterns follow elevation-dependent climate trajectories |
author_facet |
Draebing, Daniel Mayer, Till Jacobs, Benjamin McColl, Samuel T. |
author_sort |
Draebing, Daniel |
title |
Alpine rockwall erosion patterns follow elevation-dependent climate trajectories |
title_short |
Alpine rockwall erosion patterns follow elevation-dependent climate trajectories |
title_full |
Alpine rockwall erosion patterns follow elevation-dependent climate trajectories |
title_fullStr |
Alpine rockwall erosion patterns follow elevation-dependent climate trajectories |
title_full_unstemmed |
Alpine rockwall erosion patterns follow elevation-dependent climate trajectories |
title_sort |
alpine rockwall erosion patterns follow elevation-dependent climate trajectories |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/426409 |
genre |
permafrost |
genre_facet |
permafrost |
op_relation |
2662-4435 https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/426409 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
_version_ |
1772186816872448000 |