Earth Sciences

Rockfall from an increasingly unstable mountain slope driven by climate warming

M. Stoffel, D. G. Trappmann, et al.

This groundbreaking research by Markus Stoffel, Daniel G. Trappmann, Mattias I. Coullie, Juan A. Ballesteros Cánovas, and Christophe Corona reveals a startling rise in rockfall activity linked to climate change in the Swiss Alps, with unprecedented levels documented since the mid-1980s. Discover how rising summer temperatures are reshaping these vulnerable mountain environments and the urgent call for improved risk reduction measures.

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Abstract

Accelerating climate warming and permafrost degradation are increasing rockfall activity in high-mountain regions. This study uses a century-long (1920-2020) time series of rockfall activity reconstructed from tree-ring records in the Swiss Alps to demonstrate a significant correlation between rockfall frequency and summer air temperatures at both interannual and decadal timescales. The findings reveal unprecedented levels of rockfall activity since the mid-1980s, highlighting the need for improved mitigation and risk reduction measures in vulnerable mountain environments.

Publisher

Nature Geoscience

Published On

Mar 01, 2024

Authors

Markus Stoffel, Daniel G. Trappmann, Mattias I. Coullie, Juan A. Ballesteros Cánovas, Christophe Corona

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