Université de Fribourg

A general theory of rock glacier creep based on in-situ and remote sensing observations

Cicoira, Alessandro ; Marcer, Marco ; Gärtner‐Roer, Isabelle ; Bodin, Xavier ; Arenson, Lukas U. ; Vieli, Andreas

In: Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 2020, vol. 32, no. 1, p. 139-153

The ongoing acceleration in rock glacier velocities concurrent with increasing air temperatures, and the widespread onset of rock glacier destabilization have reinforced the interest in rock glacier dynamics and in its coupling to the climate system. Despite the increasing number of studies investigating this phenomenon, our knowledge of both the fundamental mechanisms controlling rock...

Université de Fribourg

Quantifying irreversible movement in steep, fractured bedrock permafrost on Matterhorn (CH)

Weber, Samuel ; Beutel, Jan ; Faillettaz, Jérome ; Hasler, Andreas ; Krautblatter, Michael ; Vieli, Andreas

In: The Cryosphere, 2017, vol. 11, no. 1, p. 567–583

Understanding rock slope kinematics in steep, fractured bedrock permafrost is a challenging task. Recent laboratory studies have provided enhanced understanding of rock fatigue and fracturing in cold environments but were not successfully confirmed by field studies. This study presents a unique time series of fracture kinematics, rock temperatures and environmental conditions at...