Geomorphic Process Chains in High‐Mountain Regions—A Review and Classification Approach for Natural Hazards Assessment

Article Article scientifique Article Geomorphic Process Chains in High‐Mountain Regions—A Review and Classification Approach for Natural Hazards Assessment eng 2023-09-30 2023-09-30 author Mani Peter Adolf Institute for Environmental Sciences University of Geneva Geneva Switzerland 887261 author Allen Simon Keith Institute for Environmental Sciences University of Geneva Geneva Switzerland 814836 Services communs de l'Institut des sciences de l'environnement (ISECO) author Evans Stephen G. Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences Centre for Environmental and Information Technology University of Waterloo Waterloo ON Canada author Kargel Jeffrey S. Planetary Science Institute University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA author Mergili Martin 0000-0001-5085-4846 Institute of Geography and Regional Science University of Graz Graz Austria author Petrakov Dmitry Faculty of Geography M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University Moscow Russia author Stoffel Markus 0000-0003-0816-1303 Institute for Environmental Sciences University of Geneva Geneva Switzerland 131626 Forel Communs (FOREL) 1-51 e2022RG000791 10.1029/2022RG000791 1944-9208 https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022RG000791 <p>Populations and infrastructure in high mountain regions are exposed to a wide range of natural hazards, the frequency, magnitude, and location of which are extremely sensitive to climate change. In cases where several hazards can occur simultaneously or where the occurrence of one event will change the disposition of another, assessments need to account for complex process chains. While process chains are widely recognized as a major threat, no systematic analysis has hitherto been undertaken. We therefore establish new understanding on the factors that directly trigger or alter the disposition for subsequent events in the chain and derive a novel classification scheme and parameters to aid natural hazard assessment. Process chains in high mountains are commonly associated with glacier retreat or permafrost degradation. Regional differences exist in the nature and rate of sequencing—some process chains are almost instantaneous, while other linkages are delayed. Process chains involving rapid sequences are difficult to predict, and impacts are often devastating. We demonstrate that process chains are triggered most frequently by progressive failures, being the result of gradual landscape weakening and not due to the occurrence of a distinct process. If fluvial processes are part of the process chain the reach (or mobility) of process chains is increased. Increased mobility can also occur if sediment deposition areas along river channels are activated. As climate changes causes glacial environments to transform into sediment‐rich paraglacial and fluvial landscapes, it is expected that the mobility of process chains will increase in the future.</p> Dewey 550 Dewey 333.7-333.9 42 Département des sciences de la Terre 154 41 Département F.-A. Forel des sciences de l'environnement et de l'eau 153 18 Institut des sciences de l'environnement 0DB false Reviews of geophysics 61 4 6329a75b-d27d-450f-a582-a3df48fee3a3 Article (Published version) Public Mani_RG_Geomorphic.pdf 16333460 application/pdf CC BY 7a95c879773e8d3a247f0af24653db088dc38f7b190a4cc6096f2c76a76790f8 openAccess Faculté des sciences / Section des sciences de la Terre et de l'Environnement / Département des sciences de la Terre Faculté des sciences / Section des sciences de la Terre et de l'Environnement / Département F.-A. Forel des sciences de l'environnement et de l'eau Centres et instituts / Institut des sciences de l'environnement

Title	Published in	Year	Views	Downloads

A System Approach for the Analysis of Natural Hazard Processes in Mountainous Areas		2024	218	4
Geomorphic Process Chains in High‐Mountain Regions—A Review and Classification Approach for Natural Hazards Assessment	Reviews of geophysics	2023	137	126

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Mani, Peter Adolf

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