In the Tyrolean Ötztal valley, a rock glacier is becoming unstable due to rising temperatures. It is a mixture of rocks and ice that flows down the slope. If this flows faster, crushed stones are more common. This is the conclusion of a research team from the Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) and the University of Innsbruck.
They have combined long-term observational data with aerial photos, laser scans and more recent measurements. Motion measurements have been carried out on the rock glacier in the Outer Hochebenkar in Tyrol since 1938. The approximately 42 hectare rock glacier extends from about 2,800 meters above sea level to 2,360 meters.
In quiet phases, the average flow rate at all points was less than one meter per year. The stone-one mixture is now moving in the lower range at up to 30 meters per year. “Since the late 1990s, we have noticed an acceleration that reached its first small peak in 2003/04 and then continued after a short break,” says Lea Hartl from the Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW).
Similar to landslides
This uneven flow not only causes rips and tears, but also “destabilizes” the rock glacier. “The material then behaves in the same way as a landslide,” explains Hartl. Climate change certainly plays a role here. Added to this is the shape of the terrain, as the rock glacier becomes steeper in the lower area. “We suspect that liquid water plays an important role in the destabilization. It acts as a lubricant and the rock glacier slides downhill.” The further down the rock-ice mixture goes, the warmer the environment gets and the process speeds up.
In principle, parts of the rock glacier can stabilize again, but according to the researcher it should not be too hot for that. There are currently fewer permanently frozen areas than before and no recovery in sight. Hartl sees the danger that the lower part of the rock glacier will move to a nearby road that should provide shelter. Regularly falling stones endanger them. “If we continue the existing observations and supplement them with new methods, we have a good chance to better understand the movement of the rock glaciers and the potential dangers,” she says confidently.
Source: Krone
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
