Climate change and geomorphical hazards in the eastern European Alps

Author(s)
Margreth Keiler, Jasper Knight, Stephan Harrison
Abstract

Climate and environmental changes associated with anthropogenic global warming are being increasingly identified in the European Alps, as seen by changes in long-term high-alpine temperature, precipitation, glacier cover and permafrost. In turn, these changes impact on land-surface stability, and lead to increased frequency and magnitude of natural mountain hazards, including rock falls, debris flows, landslides, avalanches and floods. These hazards also impact on infrastructure, and socio-economic and cultural activities in mountain regions. This paper presents two case studies (2003 heatwave, 2005 floods) that demonstrate some of the interlinkages between physical processes and human activity in climatically sensitive alpine regions that are responding to ongoing climate change. Based on this evidence, we outline future implications of climate change on mountain environments and its impact on hazards and hazard management in paraglacial mountain systems.

Organisation(s)
Department of Geography and Regional Research
External organisation(s)
University of Exeter
Journal
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
Volume
368
Pages
2461-2479
No. of pages
18
ISSN
1364-503X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2010.0047
Publication date
05-2010
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
105204 Climatology, 1054 Physical Geography
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 13 - Climate Action
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/b7b8a98e-93a7-4e9c-ac64-fa7e35457029