Two million cubic meters of rock are currently sliding down a slope above the Swiss mountain village of Brienz at increasing speed. The situation has already deteriorated to such an extent that the approximately 50 residents have to move before 6 p.m. on Friday.
The village is located about 25 kilometers southwest of Davos (Graubünden) at an altitude of about 1100 meters and should not be confused with the more famous Brienz, not far from Interlaken on Lake Brienz. Up to two million cubic meters of rock material is moving above the village, the head of the warning service, Stefan Schneider, reported.
According to the measurements, the rock masses are moving more than twice as fast as a few weeks ago. The SRF news showed an impressive time-lapse video showing the movement of the huge rock masses.
The video shows from minute 10.50 how much the rock masses have already moved towards the valley:
People “accustomed to the rumble of the mountain”
The region has been in motion for centuries. The village itself has been sliding down the valley at a rate of about one meter per year for the past 20 years. It has been known for years that the rocky area called “Island” above the village is dangerous. Residents have known for some time that evacuation was imminent.
The fact that the time has come creates a sad mood, as Daniel Albertin, mayor of Albula, explained to the SRF. People have been “accustomed to the rumble of the mountain for decades – and now the situation is different”. Anyone who cannot arrange accommodation themselves will therefore initially receive an apartment from the municipality.
The weather exacerbates the situation
That the decision has now been made also has something to do with the weather forecast, Simon Löw, emeritus professor of technical geology at the University of ETH Zurich, said on Swiss television. Rain is forecast every day through Sunday, which could increase the speed of the slide.
In the most extreme case there is a risk of a landslide
It is unclear if rubble and debris hit the village. That’s unlikely, Low said. “But in the most extreme case (…) a landslide can happen. This is something where the hill thunders down at a speed of 100 to 200 kilometers per hour, is in the village in 30 seconds and destroys the village. ”
Climate change makes rockfall more likely in some areas, such as where permafrost is thawing, debris and boulders are losing hold, or water is entering crevices and pressure is blowing away chunks of rock. According to Löw, this does not play a role in Brienz. There is no thawing permafrost, and no relationship has been established between annual precipitation and the terrain’s flow rate.
Source: Krone
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