Scientific article
OA Policy
English

A supply-limited torrent that does not feel the heat of climate change

Published inNature communications, vol. 15, no. 1
Publication date2024-10-21
First online date2024-10-21
Abstract

Debris-flow activity in the Alps is anticipated to undergo pronounced changes in response to a warming climate. Yet, a fundamental challenge in comprehensively assessing changes in process activity is the systematic lack of longterm observational debris-flow records. Here, we reconstruct the longest, continuous time series (1626-2020) of debris flows at Multetta, a supplylimited torrential system in the Eastern Swiss Alps. Relying on growth-ring records of trees that were damaged by debris flows, we do not detect significant changes in the frequency or magnitude over time. This seeming absence of a direct climatic influence on debris-flow initiation aligns with the regular distribution of repose time patterns, indicating a dependence of local process activity on sediment discharge and recharge. This stark difference in process behavior between our supply-limited site and transport-limited catchments has implications for assessing torrential hazard and riskmitigation in a context of global warming.

Keywords
  • Tree-ring
  • Swiss Alps
  • Debris flow
  • Climate change
  • Global warming
  • Torrential
  • Dendrogeomorphology
Citation (ISO format)
QIE, Jiazhi et al. A supply-limited torrent that does not feel the heat of climate change. In: Nature communications, 2024, vol. 15, n° 1. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-53316-z
Main files (1)
Article (Published version)
Identifiers
Additional URL for this publicationhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-53316-z
Journal ISSN2041-1723
80views
22downloads

Technical informations

Creation10/31/2024 9:18:50 AM
First validation11/04/2024 12:43:27 PM
Update time11/04/2024 12:43:27 PM
Status update11/04/2024 12:43:27 PM
Last indexation12/14/2024 4:46:56 PM
All rights reserved by Archive ouverte UNIGE and the University of GenevaunigeBlack