Snow, glaciers and permafrost in cold mountain areas such as the Swiss Alps are especially sensitive to changes in environmental conditions due to their proximity to melting conditions. In addition, mass wasting is most intensive in those mountain areas with high relief energy. Environmental changes in high mountain regions substantially influence the potential for glacial ... and periglacial hazards. Ice- and moraine-dammed lakes represent a widespread hazard potential closely related to glacier fluctuations. Magnitude and frequency of ice avalanches from steep glaciers - in principle a normal expression of mass exchange under such topographic conditions - are coupled with stability conditions affected by glacier advance/retreat and, hence, with long-term atmospheric impacts. Steep and unstable reservoirs of loose debris, a potential source of debris flows, are often the result of glacier shrinkage. In a similar way, changes in the stress regime due to vanishing glaciers lead to potential destabilization of adjacent valley flanks.
Since the Alps are among the most densely populated high mountain areas in the world, Switzerland is particularly impacted by glacial and periglacial hazards but, on the other hand, also has an extensive and well-recognized tradition in investigating such processes. A number of specific monitoring and modeling studies related to single hazardous situations have been performed, mainly based on recent catastrophes or imminent hazard situations. An urgent need exists for area-wide modeling of glacier hazard potentials with a view to establishing an integrated and adequate information base for planning and detailed monitoring, but a corresponding systematic approach is, for the present, still lacking.
The proposed project aims at closing this gap in several ways: Work Package (WP) (1): By developing techniques for detection of glacier hazard potentials based on optical spaceborne remote sensing data which rarely has been used to date in Swiss glacier monitoring; multispectral analyses and multitemporal and multiscale fusion will play a major role in this, with a special focus on recent or upcoming high resolution sensors. WP (2): By integrating empirical models for glacier hazard assessment into geographical information systems (GIS) which have proven to be successful for hazard simulation but have not been used yet for determining glacier hazard potentials; GIS modeling especially allows for the fusion of remote sensing and elevation data for spatial (3D) analyses. To ensure high synergy, WPs (1) and (2) will be closely related to the ongoing SNF project "The Swiss Glacier Inventory 2000" (SWI 2000) (no. 21-54073.98) and the international project "Global Land Ice Monitoring from Space" (GLIMS). WP (3): By applying the methods from WPs (1) and (2), an initial attempt will be undertaken to implement an area-wide model for integrating glacier hazard potentials of extensive regions in the Swiss Alps following a downscaling strategy with varying resolution and accuracy levels, both with respect to data and to models. As hazard management in Switzerland is the domain of local and regional authorities, the proposed project does not aim at preparing detailed local hazard maps (Gefahrenkarten), but rather will provide new remote sensing and modeling techniques for decision support. It should demonstrate the usefulness of these techniques for overview mapping (Gefahrenhinweiskarten) as a basis for decision-making and for scenario simulations in connection with climate change effects. The efforts made in this project will contribute to handle economically complex mathematical and physical models and represent a decision basis for the specific need of further detailed case studies. A further outcome will be a documentation of historical glacier catastrophes in the Swiss Alps, which will - among others - be used for model calibration and verification.
[Summary provided by Christian Huggel, University of Zurich.]
Physical Geography Division
Department of Geography
Room 25 K 64
University of Zurich - Irchel
Huggel, C., Haeberli, W., Kääb, A., Bieri, D. and Richardson, S. (2004): Assessment procedures for glacial hazards in the Swiss Alps. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 41(6), 1068-1083.
Huggel, C., Kääb, A. and Salzmann, N. (2004): GIS-based modeling of glacial hazards and their interactions using Landsat-TM and IKONOS imagery. Norwegian Journal of Geography, 58, ... 61-73.
Kääb, A., Huggel, C., Barbero, S., Chiarle, M., Cordola, M., Epifani, F., Haeberli, W., Mortara, G., Semino, P., Tamburini, A. and Viazzo, G. (2004): Glacier hazards at Belvedere Glacier and the Monte Rosa east face, Italian Alps: processes and mitigation. Internationales Symposium Interpraevent 2004 - Riva/Trient, 67-78.
Huggel, C., Kääb, A., Reynolds, J.M., Heald, A. (2004): Impact-oriented models for potential lake outbursts and ASTER-based application in the Peruvian Andes. Proceedings Fachtagung Schweizerische Geomorphologische Gesellschaft, March 28-29, 2003, Erstfeld, 129-143.
Zollinger, S., Machguth, I., Huggel, C. and Kääb, A. (2004): Gletscherseen in der Cordillera Blanca (Peru) und im Khumbu Himalaya (Nepal) - Ableitung von Parametern zur Abschätzung des Gefahrenpotentials aus ASTER-Satellitendaten. Proceedings Fachtagung Schweizerische Geomorphologische Gesellschaft, March 28-29, 2003, Erstfeld, 215-222.
Salzmann, N., Kääb, A., Huggel, C., Allgöwer, B., Haeberli, W. (2004): Assessment of the hazard potential of ice avalanches using remote sensing and GIS-modelling. Norwegian Journal of Geography, 58, 74-84.
Paul, F., Huggel, C. and Kääb, A. (2004): Combining multispectral satellite data and a digital elevation model for mapping of debris-covered glaciers. Remote Sensing of Environment, 89(4), 510-518.
Paul, F., Huggel, C., Kääb, A., Salzmann, N., Maisch, M. and Haeberli, W. (in press): Glacier change and related hazards in Switzerland. The diminished earth - an Atlas of Global Change, UNEP, GRID, Geneva.
Huggel, C.; Kaab, A.; Haeberli, W.; Krummenacher, B. (2003): Regional-scale GIS-models for assessment of hazards from glacier lake outbursts: evaluation and application in the Swiss Alps. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 3(6), 647-662.
Huggel, C., Kääb, A. and Haeberli, W. (2003): Regional-scale models of debris flows triggered by lake outbursts: the 25 June 2001 debris flow at Täsch (Switzerland) as a test study. D. Rickenmann and Ch.-L. Chen (eds), Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation: Mechanics, Prediction and Assessment. Proceedings of the Third International DFHM Conference, Davos, Switzerland, September 10-12, 2003, Millpress Science Publishers, Rotterdam, 1151-1162.
Kääb A., Wessels R., Haeberli W., Huggel C., Kargel J.S., Khalsa S.J.S (2003): Rapid ASTER imaging facilitates timely assessment of glacier hazards and disasters .EOS, Transactions, American Geophysical Union. 84(13). 117, 121.
Kääb, A., Paul, F., C. Huggel, H. Kieffer, J. Kargel and R. Wessels (2003): Glacier monitoring from ASTER imagery: accuracy and applications. EARSeL Workshop, Observing our cryosphere from space, Bern, 11.3.-13.3.2002, 43-53.
Huggel, C., Haeberli, W., Kääb, A., Ayros, E. and Portocarrero, C. (2003): Assessment of glacier hazards and glacier runoff for different climate scenarios based on remote sensing data: a case study for a hydropower plant in the Peruvian Andes. EARSeL Workshop, Observing our cryosphere from space, Bern, 11.3.-13.3.2002, 22-33.
Paul, F., Huggel, C., Kaeaeb, A., Kellenberger, T., Maisch, M. (2003): Comparison of TM-derived glacier areas with higher resolution data sets. Proc. EARSeL Workshop, Observing our cryosphere from space, 11.3.-13.3.2002, Bern, 15-21.
Huggel, C., Kääb, A., Haeberli, W., Teysseire, P. and Paul, F. (2002): Remote sensing based assessment of hazards from glacier lake outbursts: a case study in the Swiss Alps. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 39(2), 316-330.
Huggel, C., Kääb, A., Haeberli, W. (2002): www.glacierhazards.ch - Internetseite und online-Datenbank über historische Gletscherkatastrophen in der Schweiz. GEOForum 13, 33-36.
Haeberli W., A. Kääb, F. Paul, M. Chiarle, G. Mortara, A. Mazza, P. Deline and S. Richardson (2002): A surge-type movement at Ghiacciaio del Belvedere and a developing slope instability in the east face of Monte Rosa, Macugnaga, Italian Alps. Norwegian Journal of Geography. 56. 104-111.
Kääb, A. (2002): Monitoring high-mountain terrain deformation from digital aerial imagery and ASTER data. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 57, 39-52.
Kääb, A. and Haeberli, W. (2001): Evolution of a high mountain thermokarst lake in the Swiss Alps. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research, 33(4), 385-390
Kääb, A. and Vollmer, M. (2001): Digitale Photogrammetrie zur Deformationsanalyse von Massenbewegungen im Hochgebirge. Vermessung, Photogrammetrie, Kulturtechnik 8, 538-543.
Kääb A., Huggel, C., Paul, F. and Frauenfelder, R. (2001): Multi-dimensional fusion of remote sensing data and DEM for geomorphometric analyses, in: The Geographic Information Systems Association (GISA), DEMs and Geomorphology. Proceedings of the symposia on 'New concepts and modelling in geomorphology' and 'Geomorphometry, DEMs and GIS', 24.-26.8. 2001, Tokyo, Japan, 54-55.
Haeberli, W., Kääb, A., Vonder Mühll, D. and Teysseire P. (2001): Prevetion of outburst floods from preiglacial lakes at Gruben, Swiss Alps. Journal of Glaciology 47(156), 111-122.
Haeberli, W. and Huggel, C. (2001): Moränenseen - schön und gefährlich. GEOForum 10, 16-18.
Kääb A., Haeberli W., Huggel, C. und Paul, F. (2000): Glacier- and permafrost-related hazards in high mountains: Integrative assessment in the Swiss Alps based on remote sensing and geo-information systems. X Congresso Peruano de Geologia. Lima. 2000. Volumen de Presentaciones. CD-ROM.
Kääb A. (2000): Photogrammetry for early recognition of high mountain hazards: new techniques and applications. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth. 25(9), 765-770.
Kääb A., Huggel, C. und Paul, F. (2000): Früherkennung hochalpiner Naturgefahren mittels Fernerkundung. Tagungspublikation Interpraevent 2000. Band1.49-60.
Kääb A. and Vollmer M. (2000): Surface geometry, thickness changes and flow fields on creeping mountain permafrost: automatic extraction by digital image analysis. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes.11, 315-326.