English
 
Privacy Policy Disclaimer
  Advanced SearchBrowse

Item

ITEM ACTIONSEXPORT
Add to Basket
  Local TagsRelease HistoryDetailsSummary

Released
Conference Paper

How can seismology provide a better understanding of mountain cryosphere hazards?

Authors

Chmiel,  Małgorzata
IUGG 2023, General Assemblies, 1 General, International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), External Organizations;

Walter,  Fabian
IUGG 2023, General Assemblies, 1 General, International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), External Organizations;

Pralong,  Antoine
IUGG 2023, General Assemblies, 1 General, International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), External Organizations;

Husmann,  Lena
IUGG 2023, General Assemblies, 1 General, International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), External Organizations;

Kienholz,  Christian
IUGG 2023, General Assemblies, 1 General, International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), External Organizations;

Preiswerk,  Lukas
IUGG 2023, General Assemblies, 1 General, International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), External Organizations;

Gassner,  Johannes
IUGG 2023, General Assemblies, 1 General, International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), External Organizations;

Meier,  Lorenz
IUGG 2023, General Assemblies, 1 General, International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), External Organizations;

Brenguier,  Florent
IUGG 2023, General Assemblies, 1 General, International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), External Organizations;

Funk,  Martin
IUGG 2023, General Assemblies, 1 General, International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), External Organizations;

External Ressource
No external resources are shared
Fulltext (public)
There are no public fulltexts stored in GFZpublic
Supplementary Material (public)
There is no public supplementary material available
Citation

Chmiel, M., Walter, F., Pralong, A., Husmann, L., Kienholz, C., Preiswerk, L., Gassner, J., Meier, L., Brenguier, F., Funk, M. (2023): How can seismology provide a better understanding of mountain cryosphere hazards?, XXVIII General Assembly of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) (Berlin 2023).
https://doi.org/10.57757/IUGG23-2456


Cite as: https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_5018296
Abstract
Glacier and slope instabilities pose significant hazards in mountain areas, with a high potential impact on the population. Forecasting glacier and slope instabilities remains challenging as sensing technology focusing on the surface might fail to detect damage and changes in subsurface elastic properties leading to large-scale failures. Seismic methods, such as seismic interferometry, can help address this observational gap by quantifying changes in material integrity. Here, we discuss two case studies in which seismology elucidates the development of cryospheric hazards: a hanging glacier instability and permafrost degradation on an active rockslide. We first analyze seismic data from Switzerland's Eiger hanging glacier before a 15,000 m3 break-off event. Our approach, based on an analysis of multiple icequake waveforms, allows us to measure seismic source migration. Combined with an analytical model based on damage mechanics our results quantify crevasse extension between unstable and stable ice masses. We then move to the second study site, an active rock slope near "Spitze Stei" in the Kandersteg region, Switzerland. The time series of relative seismic velocity variations (dv/v) constrain the lateral and depth-dependent extent of changes in the rock's elastic properties caused by pore pressure increase and potentially by permafrost thawing. The presented case studies illustrate how seismology can give quantitative insights into material damage and allow separating effects of irreversible damage growth from reversible thermoelastic hydrologic variations. This knowledge is needed to better predict the development of large failures and thus improve warning systems.