Paraglacial rock-slope stability

• Published in: Geomorphology (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Vol. 153-154; pp. 1 - 16
• Main Author: McColl, Samuel T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.06.2012
• Subjects: climate; Climate change; Deglaciation; glaciation; glaciers; Landslides; Paraglacial; rocks; Slope evolution; Slope stability; terminology; topographic slope; Landslides; Climate change; Slope stability; Slope evolution; Paraglacial; Deglaciation
• ISSN: 0169-555X; 1872-695X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2012.02.015

Glaciation and deglaciation, along with their associated climatic and non-climatic processes, modify slope stresses and influence slope stability. Paraglacial slope failures are those that are a part of, or influenced by, the transition from glacial conditions to non-glacial conditions. Gravitational failure of rock slopes is a primary and dominant process of slope evolution in mountainous terrain and is the subject of this paper, which: (1) reviews the approaches taken for researching paraglacial rock slope failure patterns and processes; (2) summarises the spatial and temporal patterns of post-glacial failures; (3) assesses the factors influencing slope stability during glaciation and deglaciation; (4) explores some of the applications of paraglacial research; and (5) highlights some of the outstanding issues to be resolved and provides recommendations for terminology relating to paraglacial slope processes. ► Review of paraglacial rock slope stability. ► Many factors influence post-glacial landslide activity. ► Controls on timing of failure and development of instability remain uncertain. ► Sheet-joint formation, seismicity, and debuttressing are research targets.