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Movement of King's Throne rock glacier, Mount Rae area, Canadian Rocky Mountains

1999; Wiley; Volume: 10; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/(sici)1099-1530(199904/06)10

1099-1530

Donna M. Koning, Dan J. Smith,

Landslides and related hazards

Permafrost and Periglacial ProcessesVolume 10, Issue 2 p. 151-162 Research Article Movement of King's Throne rock glacier, Mount Rae area, Canadian Rocky Mountains Donna M. Koning, Donna M. Koning Department of Geography, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0W0, CanadaSearch for more papers by this authorDan J. Smith, Corresponding Author Dan J. Smith [email protected] Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3P5, CanadaDepartment of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3P5, Canada.Search for more papers by this author Donna M. Koning, Donna M. Koning Department of Geography, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0W0, CanadaSearch for more papers by this authorDan J. Smith, Corresponding Author Dan J. Smith [email protected] Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3P5, CanadaDepartment of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3P5, Canada.Search for more papers by this author First published: 31 August 1999 https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1530(199904/06)10:2 3.0.CO;2-RCitations: 14AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstracten This paper reports on the results of an eight-year geodetic survey at King's Throne rock glacier in the Front Ranges of the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains. The rock glacier originates below talus deposits skirting towering bedrock walls. It has many of the geomorphological characteristics of an active rock glacier, with photographic evidence collected over an 18-year period (1978–96) attesting to this activity. The positions of 25 survey markers on the rock glacier surface were established by triangulation surveys in 1988. Repeat surveys are used to describe surface movements over a one-year and an eight-year period. Between 1988 and 1996, horizontal displacements of the largest set of boulder targets averaged 5.35±0.39 cm a−1 and were accompanied by vertical displacements averaging 2.49±0.62 cm a−1. Two groups of smaller boulders moved some 27% faster and may reflect the influence of ancillary transport processes. These measurements are interpreted to show that King's Throne rock glacier is advancing downslope at an average rate of 1.61 cm a−1. This rate of rock glacier mass movement is lower than those previously reported from the Canadian Rocky Mountains but is comparable to rates at other North American sites. Our survey results confirm that King's Throne rock glacier is presently active but suggest that it may be thermally unstable and adjusting to present-day climates. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Abstractfr Le présent article donne les résultats de 8 années de levés géodésiques réalisés sur le glacier rocheux King's Throne, dans les Front Ranges (Montagnes Rocheuses canadiennes méridionales). Ce glacier rocheux débute sous des dépôts d'éboulis contournant des tours de roche en place. Il présente de nombreuses caractéristiques géomorphologiques propres aux glaciers rocheux actifs avec d'ailleurs des preuves photographiques de mouvements au cours d'une période de 18 ans (1978–1996). Les positions de 25 repères à la surface du glacier rocheux ont été établies par triangulation en 1988. Des levés répétés ont permis de décrire les mouvements de surface pendant 8 ans. Entre 1988 et 1996, les déplacements horizontaux du plus grand nombre de repères inscrits sur des gros blocs ont été en moyenne de 5,35±0,39 cm a−1 et ont été accompagnés par des déplacements verticaux ayant en moyenne une valeur de 2,49±0,62 cm a−1. Deux groupes de plus petits blocs se sont déplacés environ 27% plus vite et reflètent sans doute l'influence de mouvements secondaires. Ces mesures montrent que le glacier rocheux de King's Throne s'avance selon la pente à une vitesse moyenne de 1,61 cm a−1. 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