Mechanisms of Landslide Destabilization Induced by Glacier-Retreat on Tungnakvíslarjökull Area, Iceland

Pascal Lacroix; Joaquin M.C. Belart; Etienne Berthier; Þorsteinn Sæmundsson; Kristín Jónsdóttir

doi:10.1029/2022GL098302

Mechanisms of Landslide Destabilization Induced by Glacier-Retreat on Tungnakvíslarjökull Area, Iceland

Pascal Lacroix
, Joaquin M.C. Belart
, Etienne Berthier
, Þorsteinn Sæmundsson
, Kristín Jónsdóttir

University of Iceland

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The massive worldwide deglaciation leads to more frequent slope instabilities in mountainous terrains. The physical processes leading to such destabilizations are poorly constrained due to little monitoring of dynamic parameters at the local scale. Here we study a very large slow-moving landslide (∼0.8 km²), on the flank of Tungnakvíslarjökull glacier in Iceland. Based on a combination of remote sensing images, we monitor the landslide and glacier kinematics over 75 years, with a focus over the period 1999–2019 when rapid glacier wastage has been observed. The landslide accelerates from 2 to 45 m/yr in the 6 years following a sudden increase in glacier mass loss. This acceleration coincides with intense quake activity (Mℓ < 2.8), recorded by a regional seismic network. We show that this seismicity is caused by the landslide sliding on a rough surface. The evolution of the quake magnitudes suggests a progressive segmentation of the landslide mass during its acceleration.

Original language	English
Article number	e2022GL098302
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	49
Issue number	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL098302
Publication status	Published - 28 Jul 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information: P. Lacroix deeply thank Mathieu Causse and François Renard for all the interesting discussions on the analysis of the seismic data set, and Andreas Kääb and François Renard for the invitation at the University of Oslo. We thank Bryndís Brandsdóttir for providing the seismic data used in this study. E. Berthier and P. Lacroix acknowledge the support from the French Space Agency (CNES) through the TOSCA, PNTS, SPOT World Heritage and ISIS programs. Funding Information: P. Lacroix deeply thank Mathieu Causse and François Renard for all the interesting discussions on the analysis of the seismic data set, and Andreas Kääb and François Renard for the invitation at the University of Oslo. We thank Bryndís Brandsdóttir for providing the seismic data used in this study. E. Berthier and P. Lacroix acknowledge the support from the French Space Agency (CNES) through the TOSCA, PNTS, SPOT World Heritage and ISIS programs. Publisher Copyright: © 2022. The Authors.

Other keywords

asperity
glacier-retreat
kinematics
landslide
remote-sensing
seismology

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10.1029/2022GL098302

Cite this

@article{6e06e4041a654683b9268df85689a694,

title = "Mechanisms of Landslide Destabilization Induced by Glacier-Retreat on Tungnakv{\'i}slarj{\"o}kull Area, Iceland",

abstract = "The massive worldwide deglaciation leads to more frequent slope instabilities in mountainous terrains. The physical processes leading to such destabilizations are poorly constrained due to little monitoring of dynamic parameters at the local scale. Here we study a very large slow-moving landslide (∼0.8 km2), on the flank of Tungnakv{\'i}slarj{\"o}kull glacier in Iceland. Based on a combination of remote sensing images, we monitor the landslide and glacier kinematics over 75 years, with a focus over the period 1999–2019 when rapid glacier wastage has been observed. The landslide accelerates from 2 to 45 m/yr in the 6 years following a sudden increase in glacier mass loss. This acceleration coincides with intense quake activity (Mℓ < 2.8), recorded by a regional seismic network. We show that this seismicity is caused by the landslide sliding on a rough surface. The evolution of the quake magnitudes suggests a progressive segmentation of the landslide mass during its acceleration.",

keywords = "asperity, glacier-retreat, kinematics, landslide, remote-sensing, seismology",

author = "Pascal Lacroix and Belart, \{Joaquin M.C.\} and Etienne Berthier and {\TH}orsteinn S{\ae}mundsson and Krist{\'i}n J{\'o}nsd{\'o}ttir",

note = "Funding Information: P. Lacroix deeply thank Mathieu Causse and Fran{\c c}ois Renard for all the interesting discussions on the analysis of the seismic data set, and Andreas K{\"a}{\"a}b and Fran{\c c}ois Renard for the invitation at the University of Oslo. We thank Brynd{\'i}s Brandsd{\'o}ttir for providing the seismic data used in this study. E. Berthier and P. Lacroix acknowledge the support from the French Space Agency (CNES) through the TOSCA, PNTS, SPOT World Heritage and ISIS programs. Funding Information: P. Lacroix deeply thank Mathieu Causse and Fran{\c c}ois Renard for all the interesting discussions on the analysis of the seismic data set, and Andreas K{\"a}{\"a}b and Fran{\c c}ois Renard for the invitation at the University of Oslo. We thank Brynd{\'i}s Brandsd{\'o}ttir for providing the seismic data used in this study. E. Berthier and P. Lacroix acknowledge the support from the French Space Agency (CNES) through the TOSCA, PNTS, SPOT World Heritage and ISIS programs. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022. The Authors.",

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AU - Belart, Joaquin M.C.

AU - Berthier, Etienne

AU - Sæmundsson, Þorsteinn

AU - Jónsdóttir, Kristín

N1 - Funding Information: P. Lacroix deeply thank Mathieu Causse and François Renard for all the interesting discussions on the analysis of the seismic data set, and Andreas Kääb and François Renard for the invitation at the University of Oslo. We thank Bryndís Brandsdóttir for providing the seismic data used in this study. E. Berthier and P. Lacroix acknowledge the support from the French Space Agency (CNES) through the TOSCA, PNTS, SPOT World Heritage and ISIS programs. Funding Information: P. Lacroix deeply thank Mathieu Causse and François Renard for all the interesting discussions on the analysis of the seismic data set, and Andreas Kääb and François Renard for the invitation at the University of Oslo. We thank Bryndís Brandsdóttir for providing the seismic data used in this study. E. Berthier and P. Lacroix acknowledge the support from the French Space Agency (CNES) through the TOSCA, PNTS, SPOT World Heritage and ISIS programs. Publisher Copyright: © 2022. The Authors.

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N2 - The massive worldwide deglaciation leads to more frequent slope instabilities in mountainous terrains. The physical processes leading to such destabilizations are poorly constrained due to little monitoring of dynamic parameters at the local scale. Here we study a very large slow-moving landslide (∼0.8 km2), on the flank of Tungnakvíslarjökull glacier in Iceland. Based on a combination of remote sensing images, we monitor the landslide and glacier kinematics over 75 years, with a focus over the period 1999–2019 when rapid glacier wastage has been observed. The landslide accelerates from 2 to 45 m/yr in the 6 years following a sudden increase in glacier mass loss. This acceleration coincides with intense quake activity (Mℓ < 2.8), recorded by a regional seismic network. We show that this seismicity is caused by the landslide sliding on a rough surface. The evolution of the quake magnitudes suggests a progressive segmentation of the landslide mass during its acceleration.

AB - The massive worldwide deglaciation leads to more frequent slope instabilities in mountainous terrains. The physical processes leading to such destabilizations are poorly constrained due to little monitoring of dynamic parameters at the local scale. Here we study a very large slow-moving landslide (∼0.8 km2), on the flank of Tungnakvíslarjökull glacier in Iceland. Based on a combination of remote sensing images, we monitor the landslide and glacier kinematics over 75 years, with a focus over the period 1999–2019 when rapid glacier wastage has been observed. The landslide accelerates from 2 to 45 m/yr in the 6 years following a sudden increase in glacier mass loss. This acceleration coincides with intense quake activity (Mℓ < 2.8), recorded by a regional seismic network. We show that this seismicity is caused by the landslide sliding on a rough surface. The evolution of the quake magnitudes suggests a progressive segmentation of the landslide mass during its acceleration.

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KW - glacier-retreat

KW - kinematics

KW - landslide

KW - remote-sensing

KW - seismology

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U2 - 10.1029/2022GL098302

DO - 10.1029/2022GL098302

M3 - Article

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 49

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

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M1 - e2022GL098302

ER -

Mechanisms of Landslide Destabilization Induced by Glacier-Retreat on Tungnakvíslarjökull Area, Iceland

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Other keywords

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