Articles | Volume 22, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2433-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2433-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
25 Jul 2022
Research article |
| 25 Jul 2022
| 25 Jul 2022
Full-scale experiments to examine the role of deadwood in rockfall dynamics in forests
Adrian Ringenbach
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERC, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Elia Stihl
Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERC, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
Yves Bühler
Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERC, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
Peter Bebi
Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERC, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
Perry Bartelt
Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERC, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
Andreas Rigling
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Marc Christen
Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERC, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
Guang Lu
Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERC, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
Andreas Stoffel
Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERC, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
Martin Kistler
Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERC, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
Sandro Degonda
Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERC, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
Kevin Simmler
Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERC, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
Daniel Mader
Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Andrin Caviezel
Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERC, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
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Elisabeth D. Hafner, Patrick Barton, Rodrigo Caye Daudt, Jan Dirk Wegner, Konrad Schindler, and Yves Bühler
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Aubrey Miller, Pascal Sirguey, Simon Morris, Perry Bartelt, Nicolas Cullen, Todd Redpath, Kevin Thompson, and Yves Bühler
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Natural hazard modelers simulate mass movements to better anticipate the risk to people and infrastructure. These simulations require accurate digital elevation models. We test the sensitivity of a well-established snow avalanche model (RAMMS) to the source and spatial resolution of the elevation model. We find key differences in the digital representation of terrain greatly affect the simulated avalanche results, with implications for hazard planning.
Yves Bühler, Peter Bebi, Marc Christen, Stefan Margreth, Lukas Stoffel, Andreas Stoffel, Christoph Marty, Gregor Schmucki, Andrin Caviezel, Roderick Kühne, Stephan Wohlwend, and Perry Bartelt
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To calculate and visualize the potential avalanche hazard, we develop a method that automatically and efficiently pinpoints avalanche starting zones and simulate their runout for the entire canton of Grisons. The maps produced in this way highlight areas that could be endangered by avalanches and are extremely useful in multiple applications for the cantonal authorities, including the planning of new infrastructure, making alpine regions more safe.
Animesh K. Gain, Yves Bühler, Pascal Haegeli, Daniela Molinari, Mario Parise, David J. Peres, Joaquim G. Pinto, Kai Schröter, Ricardo M. Trigo, María Carmen Llasat, and Heidi Kreibich
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To mark the 20th anniversary of Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (NHESS), an interdisciplinary and international journal dedicated to the public discussion and open-access publication of high-quality studies and original research on natural hazards and their consequences, we highlight 11 key publications covering major subject areas of NHESS that stood out within the past 20 years.
Natalie Brožová, Tommaso Baggio, Vincenzo D'Agostino, Yves Bühler, and Peter Bebi
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 3539–3562, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-21-3539-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-21-3539-2021, 2021
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Surface roughness plays a great role in natural hazard processes but is not always well implemented in natural hazard modelling. The results of our study show how surface roughness can be useful in representing vegetation and ground structures, which are currently underrated. By including surface roughness in natural hazard modelling, we could better illustrate the processes and thus improve hazard mapping, which is crucial for infrastructure and settlement planning in mountainous areas.
Nora Helbig, Michael Schirmer, Jan Magnusson, Flavia Mäder, Alec van Herwijnen, Louis Quéno, Yves Bühler, Jeff S. Deems, and Simon Gascoin
The Cryosphere, 15, 4607–4624, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4607-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4607-2021, 2021
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The snow cover spatial variability in mountains changes considerably over the course of a snow season. In applications such as weather, climate and hydrological predictions the fractional snow-covered area is therefore an essential parameter characterizing how much of the ground surface in a grid cell is currently covered by snow. We present a seasonal algorithm and a spatiotemporal evaluation suggesting that the algorithm can be applied in other geographic regions by any snow model application.
Elisabeth D. Hafner, Frank Techel, Silvan Leinss, and Yves Bühler
The Cryosphere, 15, 983–1004, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-983-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-983-2021, 2021
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Satellites prove to be very valuable for documentation of large-scale avalanche periods. To test reliability and completeness, which has not been satisfactorily verified before, we attempt a full validation of avalanches mapped from two optical sensors and one radar sensor. Our results demonstrate the reliability of high-spatial-resolution optical data for avalanche mapping, the suitability of radar for mapping of larger avalanches and the unsuitability of medium-spatial-resolution optical data.
Nora Helbig, Yves Bühler, Lucie Eberhard, César Deschamps-Berger, Simon Gascoin, Marie Dumont, Jesus Revuelto, Jeff S. Deems, and Tobias Jonas
The Cryosphere, 15, 615–632, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-615-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-615-2021, 2021
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The spatial variability in snow depth in mountains is driven by interactions between topography, wind, precipitation and radiation. In applications such as weather, climate and hydrological predictions, this is accounted for by the fractional snow-covered area describing the fraction of the ground surface covered by snow. We developed a new description for model grid cell sizes larger than 200 m. An evaluation suggests that the description performs similarly well in most geographical regions.
Lucie A. Eberhard, Pascal Sirguey, Aubrey Miller, Mauro Marty, Konrad Schindler, Andreas Stoffel, and Yves Bühler
The Cryosphere, 15, 69–94, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-69-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-69-2021, 2021
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In spring 2018 in the alpine Dischma valley (Switzerland), we tested different industrial photogrammetric platforms for snow depth mapping. These platforms were high-resolution satellites, an airplane, unmanned aerial systems and a terrestrial system. Therefore, this study gives a general overview of the accuracy and precision of the different photogrammetric platforms available in space and on earth and their use for snow depth mapping.
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Short summary
Forests have a recognized braking effect on rockfalls. The impact of lying deadwood, however, is mainly neglected. We conducted 1 : 1-scale rockfall experiments in three different states of a spruce forest to fill this knowledge gap: the original forest, the forest including lying deadwood and the cleared area. The deposition points clearly show that deadwood has a protective effect. We reproduced those experimental results numerically, considering three-dimensional cones to be deadwood.
Forests have a recognized braking effect on rockfalls. The impact of lying deadwood, however, is...
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