Publication Date:
2014-12-20
Description:
ABSTRACT The multipart Riffeltal rock glacier, located in a tributary valley of the Kaunertal, Tyrol, Austria is investigated to enlarge the knowledge about spatial and temporal development of rock glaciers in and at the margins of proglacial areas and to get a better understanding about glacier-rock glacier interactions. The subject of interest consists of a complex system of two adjacent rock glacier tongues and various superposed lobes with differing ages, origin and root zones, and therefore diverse development. To determine the reasons for their diverging development, the internal structure and permafrost occurrence on and in the surrounding area of the rock glacier were studied by application of geomorphological mapping, geophysical methods and measurement of the basal temperature of the winter snow cover (BTS). Permafrost modelling was performed on the basis of BTS data and land surface parameters derived from a high resolution airborne laserscanning (ALS) DEM. Additionally, the ALS data were used to measure vertical and horizontal changes of the rock glacier surface between 2006 and 2012. Glacier-rock glacier interactions during and since the Little Ice Age (LIA) are evident for the development of the studied rock glacier. A geomorphic map gives important information about the connection between glacial advance or retreat and permafrost or ground ice occurrence. The combination of all information helps in the analysis of diverse kinematic action of neighbouring rock glacier tongues. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Print ISSN:
0197-9337
Electronic ISSN:
1096-9837
Topics:
Geography
,
Geosciences
