Mountain permafrost and associated geomorphological processes: recent changes in the French Alps
Alpine mountains are affected by significant geomorphological processes whose evolution is partly conditioned by permafrost warming: rockfalls of various volumes, destabilisation of rock glaciers, and cryokarst. These phenomena, because of their intensity, may generate risks for territories. This pa...
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| Language: | English |
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Institut de Géographie Alpine
2015-09-01
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| Series: | Revue de Géographie Alpine |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/rga/2885 |
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| author | Xavier Bodin Philippe Schoeneich Philip Deline Ludovic Ravanel Florence Magnin Jean-Michel Krysiecki Thomas Echelard |
| author_facet | Xavier Bodin Philippe Schoeneich Philip Deline Ludovic Ravanel Florence Magnin Jean-Michel Krysiecki Thomas Echelard |
| author_sort | Xavier Bodin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Alpine mountains are affected by significant geomorphological processes whose evolution is partly conditioned by permafrost warming: rockfalls of various volumes, destabilisation of rock glaciers, and cryokarst. These phenomena, because of their intensity, may generate risks for territories. This paper provides a synthesis of the knowledge about the current status of the mountain permafrost in the French Alps and its recent evolution. This state-of-the-art overview is based on research conducted over the past 10 years and the measurements collected within PermaFRANCE, the French network for long-term observation of the mountain permafrost. The analysis of the available data shows that for a rock wall located at 3800 m asl., the temperature is between -4.5 and -1.5°C at a depth of 10 m, according to the aspect, whereas it is close to the melting point in surficial deposits at 2800 m asl. on a northern slope. Since the beginning of these measurements at depth in 2010, a trend of increasing temperature has been discernible, as found in other alpine boreholes. As clearly shown by the surface measurements conducted since 2003, the thermal regime is influenced by snow, particularly in surficial deposits and to a much lesser extent in rock walls. This inter-annual variability is combined with longer-term trends, which probably induce the observed changes in geomorphological dynamics associated with alpine permafrost: an increased frequency of gravitational processes such as rockfalls and fluctuation in rock glacier velocities. The possible increase in extreme events, such as rock avalanches or the destabilisation of rock glaciers, in the coming decades could create new or increased risks, to which territories must thus adapt. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e91dfb49a6e4414da713576ae1fd439a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0035-1121 1760-7426 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2015-09-01 |
| publisher | Institut de Géographie Alpine |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revue de Géographie Alpine |
| spelling | doaj-art-e91dfb49a6e4414da713576ae1fd439a2025-01-10T15:56:16ZengInstitut de Géographie AlpineRevue de Géographie Alpine0035-11211760-74262015-09-01103210.4000/rga.2885Mountain permafrost and associated geomorphological processes: recent changes in the French AlpsXavier BodinPhilippe SchoeneichPhilip DelineLudovic RavanelFlorence MagninJean-Michel KrysieckiThomas EchelardAlpine mountains are affected by significant geomorphological processes whose evolution is partly conditioned by permafrost warming: rockfalls of various volumes, destabilisation of rock glaciers, and cryokarst. These phenomena, because of their intensity, may generate risks for territories. This paper provides a synthesis of the knowledge about the current status of the mountain permafrost in the French Alps and its recent evolution. This state-of-the-art overview is based on research conducted over the past 10 years and the measurements collected within PermaFRANCE, the French network for long-term observation of the mountain permafrost. The analysis of the available data shows that for a rock wall located at 3800 m asl., the temperature is between -4.5 and -1.5°C at a depth of 10 m, according to the aspect, whereas it is close to the melting point in surficial deposits at 2800 m asl. on a northern slope. Since the beginning of these measurements at depth in 2010, a trend of increasing temperature has been discernible, as found in other alpine boreholes. As clearly shown by the surface measurements conducted since 2003, the thermal regime is influenced by snow, particularly in surficial deposits and to a much lesser extent in rock walls. This inter-annual variability is combined with longer-term trends, which probably induce the observed changes in geomorphological dynamics associated with alpine permafrost: an increased frequency of gravitational processes such as rockfalls and fluctuation in rock glacier velocities. The possible increase in extreme events, such as rock avalanches or the destabilisation of rock glaciers, in the coming decades could create new or increased risks, to which territories must thus adapt.https://journals.openedition.org/rga/2885climate changepermafrostFrench Alpsgeomorphological dynamics |
| spellingShingle | Xavier Bodin Philippe Schoeneich Philip Deline Ludovic Ravanel Florence Magnin Jean-Michel Krysiecki Thomas Echelard Mountain permafrost and associated geomorphological processes: recent changes in the French Alps Revue de Géographie Alpine climate change permafrost French Alps geomorphological dynamics |
| title | Mountain permafrost and associated geomorphological processes: recent changes in the French Alps |
| title_full | Mountain permafrost and associated geomorphological processes: recent changes in the French Alps |
| title_fullStr | Mountain permafrost and associated geomorphological processes: recent changes in the French Alps |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mountain permafrost and associated geomorphological processes: recent changes in the French Alps |
| title_short | Mountain permafrost and associated geomorphological processes: recent changes in the French Alps |
| title_sort | mountain permafrost and associated geomorphological processes recent changes in the french alps |
| topic | climate change permafrost French Alps geomorphological dynamics |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/rga/2885 |
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