Open AccessA prehistoric catastrophic rock avalanche at Holsteinsborg, West Greenland
Author(s) -
M. Kelly
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
bulletin of the geological society of denmark
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2245-7070
pISSN - 0011-6297
DOI - 10.37570/bgsd-1979-28-10
Subject(s) - geology , debris , rockfall , snow , rockslide , snow cover , prehistory , debris flow , impact crater , geomorphology , physical geography , archaeology , paleontology , oceanography , geography , landslide , physics , astronomy
The deposits of a rock avalanche have been identified near Holsteinsborg, West Greenland, where they cover about 2 km2 and involve at least 2.8 X 106 m3 of rock debris which has been transported up to 7 km from its source. The possible transport mechanisms responsible for this deposit are discussed by analogy with recent rock avalanches described in the literature. This suggests that the avalanche was a high velocity flow cum slide with a dispersed load of rock debris, snow and ice which was generated by a rock fall from the side of the mountain of Avqutikitsoq. The date of the avalanche is estimated from the somewhat uncertain lichenometrical evidence to be 16th or 17th century.