Dendrogeomorphology as a tool to unravel snow-avalanche activity: Preliminary results from the Fnjóskadalur test site, Northern Iceland

Snow avalanches are a major hazard for many settlements and transportation corridors in northern Iceland. At many sites the occurrence of snow avalanches during the past century has not been recorded. Visible damage, such as tilting, scars and decapitation of trees and shrubs (Betula pubescens) grow...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNorsk geografisk tidsskrift Vol. 62; no. 2; pp. 55 - 65
Main Authors Decaulne, Armelle, Sæmundsson, Þorsteinn
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oslo Taylor & Francis Group 01.06.2008
Universitetsforlaget
Norske geografiske selskab
Subjects
Bgi / Prodig
dendrochronology
dendromorphology
Europe
Iceland
Scandinavian States. Finland
snow avalanches
Iceland
Mass movement
Snow
Dendrochronology
Avalanche
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Summary:Snow avalanches are a major hazard for many settlements and transportation corridors in northern Iceland. At many sites the occurrence of snow avalanches during the past century has not been recorded. Visible damage, such as tilting, scars and decapitation of trees and shrubs (Betula pubescens) growing on colluvial cones in a remote area in Central North Iceland clearly identifies snow-avalanche paths of a given magnitude and frequency. An analysis of tree-ring data was made using the chronology of ring sizes and wood reaction in snow-avalanche tracks subject to frequent avalanches. Abnormal growth, correlated with abrupt increases or decreases in growth rates, is related to snow-avalanche impact. The preliminary results provide reliable dendrogeomorphological data that show the spatial extent and frequency of snow avalanches in the study area. Further investigation that includes a broader sampling strategy and dendrochronological laboratory analysis is required.
ISSN:0029-1951
1502-5292
DOI:10.1080/00291950802094742