Abstract
In the warm summer of 2017, a landslide failed from the south-east side of the Col des Clochettes on the top of the underlying Trajo Glacier. The study area is at an elevation of about 3500 m a.s.l. in the Gran Paradiso Massif and can be hardly reached by walking from Cogne (Aosta Valley, NW Italy). Studies conducted by field surveys, photogrammetry (structure from motion) and satellite images analysis, integrated with the evaluation of data from meteorological stations have been used to reconstruct the phenomenon and infer its causes. The site is very complex to be studied especially due to logistic problems, therefore, measurements and observations that are common practice in other landslides are very difficult to apply here. So, many of the results achieved are not adequately supported by field studies. Anyway, the following factors could have affected the stability of the slope: i) the tectonic structure of the area, which is reflected on the morphology and on the geomechanics characteristics of the rock masses; ii) the meteorological conditions during 3 months before the main failure, resulting in an extremely high temperature compared to historical data. Moreover, the analysis of multitemporal satellite images allowed to recognize that it was not a single landslide but that the phenomenon is articulated over time in at least five failures in about 2 months. Moreover, several predisposing factors may have been playing an important role in causing the instability: the degradation of permafrost (probably affecting rock mass due to the circulation of warm air and water in the discontinuity systems), the alternance of the freeze-thaw cycles and the availability of a considerable amount of water from rainfalls and nival fusion infiltrating deeply in the rock mass. More common causes such as rains and earthquakes have been excluded.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bessette-Kirton EK, Coe JA, Zhou W (2018) entrainment, and compaction in volume calculations for rock avalanches on glaciers: Application to the 2016 Lamplugh rock avalanche in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 123: 622–641. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JF004512
Chicco JM, Vacha D, Mandrone G (2019) Thermo-physical and geo-mechanical characterization of faulted carbonate rock masses (Valdieri, Italy). Remote Sensing 11(2): 179. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11020179
Coe JE, Bessette-Kirton EK, Geertsema M (2018). Increasing rock-avalanche size and mobility in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska detected from 1984 to 2016 Landsat imagery. Landslides 15: 393–407. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-017-0879-7
Crozier MJ (2010) Deciphering the effect of climate change on landslide activity: a review. Geomorphology 124:260–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2010.04.009
Gariano SL, Guzzetti F (2016) Landslides in a changing climate. Earth-Science Reviews 162:227–252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2016.08.011
Davies MCR, Hamza O & Harris C (2001) The effect of rise in mean annual temperature on the stability of rock slopes containing ice-filled discontinuities. Permafrost Periglacial Processes 12: 137–144. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.378
De Blasio FV (2014) Friction and dynamics of rock avalanches travelling on glaciers. Geomorphology 213: 88–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2014.01.001
Deline F (2001) Recent Brenva rock avalanches (Valley of Aosta): new chapter in an old story? Supplementi Geografia Fisica & Dinamica Quaternaria V: 55–63.
Dufresne A, Davies TR (2009) Longitudinal ridges in mass movement deposits. Geomorphology 105 (3-4): 171181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2008.09.009
Filipello A, Giuliani A, Mandrone G (2010) Rock slopes failure susceptibility analysis: from remote sensing measurements to geographic information system raster modules. American Journal of Environmental Sciences 6(6): 489–494. https://doi.org/10.3844/ajessp.2010.489.494
Filipello A, Mandrone G, Bornaz L (2015) Structural data treatment to define rockfall susceptibility using long range laser scanner. In: G. Lollino et al. (eds.), Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 6. pp 721–724. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09060-3_129
Fischer L, Purves RS, Huggel C, et al. (2012) On the influence of topographic, geological and cryospheric factors on rock avalanches and rockfalls in high-mountain areas. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 12: 241–254. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-241-2012
Fischer L, Huggel C, Kääb A, Haeberli W (2013) Slope failures and erosion rates on a glacierized high mountain face under climatic changes. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 38: 836–846. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3355
Giuliani A, Filipello A, Mandrone G (2016) Extreme gis applications for 3d visualization aimed to geological and mining modelling. Italian Journal of Engineering Geology and Environment 2: 31–39. https://doi.org/10.4408/IJEGE.2016-01.O-03
Hoek, E, Bray JW (1981) Rock Slope Engineering. 3rd Ed., Spon Press, London. p 368.
Huggel C, Zgraggen-Oswald S, Haeberli W, et al. (2005) The 2002 rock/ice avalanche at Kolka/Karmadon, Russian Caucasus: assessment of extraordinary avalanche formation and mobility, and application of QuickBird satellite imagery. Natural Hazards and Earth System Science. 5(2): 173–187. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-5-173-2005
Huggel C, Allen S, Deline P, et al. (2012) Ice thawing, mountains falling are alpine rock slope failures increasing? The Geologists’ Association & The Geological Society of London, Geology Today, Vol. 28, No. 3, May-June. pp 98–104. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2451.2012.00836.x
Kuhle M (2007) Altitudinal levels and altitudinal limits in high mountains. Journal of Mountain Science 4(1):24–33. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-007-0024-5
ISPRA (2015) - Carta Geologica d’Italia alla scala 1:50.000: Aosta Foglio 090 (In Italian).
Mandrone G (1995) - Valutazione del rischio di frana nella media Valtournenche (Fieraz-Valle d’Aosta). GEAM dicembre 1995. (In Italian).
Mandrone G, Buratti L, Chelli A, et al. (2009) A large, slow moving earth flow in the northern Apennines: the Signatico landslide (Italy). Geografia Fisica & Dinamica Quaternaria 32 247–253.
Reznichenko NV, Davies TRH, Alexander DJ (2011) Effects of rock avalanches on glacier behavior and moraine formation. Geomorphology 132 (2011) 327–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.05.019
Shugar H, Clague J (2011) The sedimentology and geomorphology of rock avalanche deposits on glaciers. Sedimentology 58(7): 1762–1783. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3091.2011.01238.x
Vagnon F, Colombero C, Colombo F, et al. (2018) Effects of thermal treatment on physical and mechanical properties of hydrothermally metamorphosed Lausa limestone (NW Italy). International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences 116 (2019) 75–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2019.03.006
Varnes DJ (1978) Slope Movements Types and Processes. In: Schuster R.L. & Krizek R.J. (Eds.) Landslides: Analysis and Control. Transportation Research Board Special Report 176. National Academy of Sciences, Washington. pp 11–33.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Marta Chiarle and Giovanni Mortara for the precious information; Piero Borre and Chiara Caminada for sharing a beautiful experience in a unique mountain context and for the patient help offered; Prof Giuseppe Mandrone for the correction of the manuscript and for the encouragement to publish.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Frasca, M., Vacha, D., Chicco, J. et al. Landslide on glaciers: an example from Western Alps (Cogne - Italy). J. Mt. Sci. 17, 1161–1171 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-019-5629-y
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-019-5629-y