Avalanches and landslides

Flood hazard of ice-dammed lakes at melting glaciers is decreasing

At melting glaciers, lakes are being formed where meltwater gets trapped behind debris or ice dams. Floods caused by outbursts of ice-dammed lakes have become less extreme over the past 120 years.

Climate change already increases the number of rockfalls in the Alps

Small- to medium-sized rockfalls now occur up to 300 m higher in the Alps than 70 years ago. The number of rockfalls has increased since the 2000s, data since 1945 show.

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The future of landslides in the Pyrenees

A study on landslides in the French Central Pyrenees shows that these hazards may occur up to 4 times as often by the end of the century, under a high-end scenario of climate change.

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Temperature and precipitation changes seem to trigger slope destabilization in the Alps

A high occurrence of positive temperature anomalies in the lead-up of slope failures in the Italian Alps supports the hypothesis that climate warming is destabilizing slopes at high-elevation sites.

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On a global scale, landslide hazard doesn't seem to be increasing due to climate change

Landslides are responsible for ca. 14% of all casualties from natural hazards, on a global scale. Human activities may be more detrimental to future landslide incidence than climate change.

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Europe’s road and rail transport more often exposed to landslides this century

The number of heavy precipitation events that can trigger landslides in central Europe will increase this century, up to 14 additional events per year in 2100

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Landslides in a changing climate, a complicated story

More people will probably be exposed to shallow, rapid-moving landslides. The number of deep-seated, slower landslides, that cause a lot of economic damage, will probably decrease.

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Glacier retreat triggers landslide response

Glacier retreat causes landslides and catastrophic rock falls. In particular the breakout of landslide dams poses significant risks to surrounding settlements and critical infrastructure.

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More intense rainfall will trigger more landslides in Italy

Annual number of landslides in central Italy will increase by 30% and 45% for 2040-2069 and 2070-2099, respectively. This is due to an increase of rainfall intensity in the hours prior to landslides.

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Melting glaciers increase water and sediment yields in Alpine watersheds

Melting glaciers and thawing of permafrost have caused stream discharge to almost double in Alpine watersheds through the last five decades. A frequent outcome of rapid climate warming.

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Debris flows in the Alps in a changing climate: are things getting better or worse?

For the Alps, the main trigger of debris flows is high intensity, short duration rainfall. Under future climate change, it is likely that increases in extreme rainfall will alter debris flow frequency

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Changes in the occurrence of rainfall-induced landslides in southern Italy in the 20th century

In Italy, landslides are a serious threat to the population: in the period 1954–2013 1279 persons were killed and 1731 were injured by landslides. Rainfall is the primary trigger

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DISASTER: database on floods and landslides in Portugal

In Portugal, during 1865-2010 1,621 disastrous floods and 281 disastrous landslides were recorded that led to casualties or injuries, and

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Debris-flow activity in the Swiss Alps under climatic change

In the Alps, the overall frequency of debris flows may decrease in absolute terms, but the magnitude of events may increase.

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Changes in natural hazards in Norway

Data for the period 1957 to 2010 show that the intensity of strong precipitation events has increased in most parts of the country ...

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