Slushflows at El Port del Comte, northeast Spain

Slushflows were first recorded in the Iberian Peninsula on 18 December 1997. Three slushflows were released at the ski resort of El Port del Comte, in the Catalan Pyrenees, northeast Spain, during intense rainfall. Two of the slushflows originated on the pistes, and the third affected another piste....

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of glaciology Vol. 45; no. 151; pp. 555 - 558
Main Authors Furdada, Glòria, Martínez, Pere, Oller, Pere, Vilaplana, Joan Manuel
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 1999
International Glaciological Society
Subjects
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Snow. Ice. Glaciers
Spain, Catalan Pyrenees Mts., El Port del Comte
Europe
Pyrenees
Spain
El Port del Comte, Spain
Atmospheric condition
Rain
Hydrogeology
Flow(fluid)
Snow slush
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Summary:Slushflows were first recorded in the Iberian Peninsula on 18 December 1997. Three slushflows were released at the ski resort of El Port del Comte, in the Catalan Pyrenees, northeast Spain, during intense rainfall. Two of the slushflows originated on the pistes, and the third affected another piste. Three ski lifts were damaged. This paper analyzes the hydrogeological characteristics of the massif, the geomorphic features of the terrain and the meteorological and snowpack conditions that caused the release of the slushflows. Man's role in triggering the slushflows by compacting snow on the pistes is also considered. Drainage control for reducing the hazard is outlined, taking into consideration the low frequency of the phenomenon.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
content type line 23
ISSN:0022-1430
1727-5652
DOI:10.3189/S0022143000001428