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Temporal and spatial variations in periglacial soil movements on alpine crest slopes
Author(s) -
Matsuoka Norikazu
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/esp.1125
Subject(s) - geology , bedrock , crest , frost (temperature) , frost heaving , snow , precipitation , hydrology (agriculture) , physical geography , environmental science , geomorphology , geotechnical engineering , meteorology , physics , quantum mechanics , geography
Abstract This paper describes up to ten years of continuous monitoring of frost heave, creep and associated parameters on high mountain crest slopes in the Japanese and Swiss Alps, aiming to evaluate spatial and interannual variations in the rates and controls of soil movement. Shallow frost creep reecting diurnal frost heave activity dominates the crest slopes that lack a vegetation mat and have a thin debris mantle with good drainage. Seasonal frost heave activity can induce slightly deeper movement where ne soil exists below the depth reached by diurnal freeze–thaw penetration, although the shallow bedrock impedes movements below 20 cm depth. As a result, downslope velocity proles display strong concavity with surface velocities of 2–50 cm a −1 . The frost creep rates vary spatially, depending on the soil texture, slope gradient, frequency of temperature cycling across 0 °C and moisture availability during freeze–thaw periods. Soil movements recur in every freeze–thaw period, although with some interannual variations affected by the length of seasonal snow cover and the occurrence of precipitation during freeze–thaw periods. The Swiss Alps encounter more signicant interannual variations than the Japanese Alps, reecting the large variability of the annual snow regime. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.