Permafrost degradation due to global warming is a widespread phenomenon in recent dec-ades (Lemke et al. 2007), latitudinal as well as altitudinal. Dealing with permafrost related mountain hazards requires knowledge on the exact permafrost distribution throughout mountain areas. Therefore, a monitoring project on European permafrost distribution will be discussed. Furthermore, it has to be determined, what mountain hazards exist in general and which of them could be affected by permafrost degradation in terms of frequency and/or intensity. Two different types of mountain hazards will be examined in detail: rockfall and outburst flood of permafrost dammed lakes.
Moreover, the impact of mountain hazards on the society will be marked. The focus will be on investigations which can be done, before undertaking engineering projects. After that a brief overview on perspectives in terms of climate scenarios and their possible impact on permafrost degradation and mountain hazards will be given. Finally, some concluding statements will be made.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Permafrost in mountain areas
- 3. Permafrost related hazards
- 3.1 Mass movements/ Rockfall
- 4. Hazard and risk assessment
- 5. Perspective
- 6. Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the impact of permafrost degradation on mountain hazards, focusing on the distribution of permafrost in mountain areas and the resulting risks. It explores how climate change affects permafrost and its influence on the frequency and intensity of specific hazards.
- Permafrost distribution and monitoring in mountain regions
- The relationship between permafrost degradation and mountain hazards (rockfall and outburst floods)
- Hazard and risk assessment related to permafrost degradation
- The impact of climate change scenarios on future permafrost degradation
- Methods for investigating permafrost-related hazards before undertaking engineering projects
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
Chapter 1: Introduction introduces the topic of permafrost degradation and its impact on mountain hazards, outlining the paper's objectives and scope. It highlights the importance of understanding permafrost distribution for hazard assessment.
Chapter 2: Permafrost in mountain areas discusses the factors influencing permafrost distribution, focusing on European research and the PACE project, which provides valuable data on permafrost thermal profiles and their variability across different sites. The non-equilibrium nature of the permafrost/thermal relationship is emphasized.
Chapter 3: Permafrost related hazards details various mountain hazards, focusing on mass movements (particularly rockfall) and outburst floods as the hazards directly linked to permafrost degradation. The complexities of chain reactions between different hazard types are also noted.
Chapter 3.1: Mass movements/Rockfall explains how permafrost thawing reduces the strength of ice-rich sediment and bedrock, leading to various types of slope failures, emphasizing the importance of ice content in frozen ground.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Permafrost degradation, mountain hazards, rockfall, outburst floods, climate change, risk assessment, PACE project, thermal profiles, ice-rich sediment, slope stability.
- Citar trabajo
- Eric Petermann (Autor), 2008, Mountain Hazards associated with Permafrost Degradation, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/119367
