Repeat Glacier Collapses and Surges in the Amney Machen Mountain Range, Tibet, Possibly Triggered by a Developing Rock-Slope Instability
Repeat Glacier Collapses and Surges in the Amney Machen Mountain Range, Tibet, Possibly Triggered by a Developing Rock-Slope Instability
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DOI：
10.3390/rs11060708
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发表时间：
2019-03
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
F. Paul
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
F. Paul
崩塌的山谷冰川离开河床，以赛车的速度冲下平坦的山坡，这是迄今为止罕见的事件。它们仅在2002年被报道用于Kolkaglacier（高加索）和2016年失败的Aru山脉（西藏）的两个冰川。利用卫星数据和建模对这两次事件进行了详细研究，以更多地了解这类事件的原因和相关过程。这项研究报告了2004年，2007年和2016年在Amney Machen山脉（西藏东部）发生的一系列迄今未记录的冰川崩塌。这三次崩塌都与冰川激增有关，但从1987年到1995年，冰川激增而没有崩塌。后来的涌浪和崩塌可能是由斜坡的不稳定性引发的，斜坡的不稳定性向较低的冰舌释放了大量的冰和岩石，扭曲了它的动态稳定性。随着更多的冰和岩石落在冰川上，这种激增和崩塌在未来可能会继续下去。据推测，这一发展是对区域温度上升的直接反应，这种温度上升破坏了周围悬挂冰川的稳定。然而，陡峭的岩石斜坡和冰川床的特殊性质也可能发挥了作用。
Collapsing valley glaciers leaving their bed to rush down a flat hill slope at the speed of a racing car are so far rare events. They have only been reported for the Kolkaglacier (Caucasus) in 2002 and the two glaciers in the Aru mountain range (Tibet) that failed in 2016. Both events have been studied in detail using satellite data and modeling to learn more about the reasons for and processes related to such events. This study reports about a series of so far undocumented glacier collapses that occurred in the Amney Machen mountain range (eastern Tibet) in 2004, 2007, and 2016. All three collapses were associated with a glacier surge, but from 1987 to 1995, the glacier surged without collapsing. The later surges and collapses were likely triggered by a progressing slope instability that released large amounts of ice and rock to the lower glacier tongue, distorting its dynamic stability. The surges and collapses might continue in the future as more ice and rock is available to fall on the glacier. It has been speculated that the development is a direct response to regional temperature increase that destabilized the surrounding hanging glaciers. However, the specific properties of the steep rock slopes and the glacier bed might also have played a role.