Ninth International Conference on Permafrost ... - IARC Research

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Scientific Opportunities and Environmental Impacts Related to Ski RunConstruction, Zermatt, Swiss AlpsOliver WildDepartment of Geography, University of Giessen, GermanyIsabelle Roer, Stephan GruberDepartment of Physical Geography, University of Zurich, SwitzerlandBarbara May, Dietmar WagenbachInstitute for Environmental Physics, University of Heidelberg, GermanyBackgroundThe building of ski runs and their associated installationsare likely to influence the alpine environment and thepermafrost present at many of those sites. Therefore, it isimportant to have a good understanding of the impacts ofthis construction. As it is impossible to restore the normalenvironment once the work is finished, the present stateshould be documented, and information about how theformation of the area and its periglacial landforms tookplace in the past (e.g., with ice samples) should be gained.During the years after the construction, further researchmust be conducted to evaluate the degree of change. Theresearch within this article contributes to this knowledge,and preliminary results are presented.Study SiteDuring construction for a new ski run at the Gornergrat(Zermatt, Swiss Alps), diverse exposures of ground-ice werecreated. The site (3135 m a.s.l) is located in the southernSwiss Alps and is part of the Matter Valley. The Zermattregion has a continental climate with 610 mm annualprecipitation (MeteoSwiss 30-year average 1961–1990) andstrong direct solar radiation.Located on the northern slopes of the east–west runningcrest between Gornergrat and Hohtälli (3286 m a.s.l.) is thearea called “Kelle” (Fig. 1). Here, the ski run is constructedwithin the discontinous permafrost zone, which can beexpected between 2600 and 3500 m a.s.l., according to King(1996). Regarding permafrost distribution, measurementsof the ground surface temperature (GST) and the basaltemperature of the snow (BTS), as well as permafrost modelshave contributed to knowledge about this area (Gruber 2000,Herz 2006).Environmental ImpactsDuring the construction in summer 2007, ground-ice wasexposed at various spots in the “Kelle” area. The building ofa new ski run with a snowmaking system, commissioned byZermatt Bergbahnen, was the reason for that. With a lengthof approximately 2.5 km and an altitudinal difference of350 m, the track leads through a steep cirque where largemasses of rock and sediments had to be moved. Variousgeomorphological features were affected by these actions.The uppermost part of the track leads through the remainingice of a small glacier (Fig. 2a), the middle part cuts througha rock glacier (Fig. 2b & 2c), and rock glacier-like features(polygenetic landforms) were influenced in the lowest part(Fig. 2d).The maximum depth reached is approximately 8 m belowthe former surface. Due to the removal of the active layer andFigure 1. The study site with its new ski run (black line).Figure 2. The ice of the remaining glacier (a), the ski track cuttingthrough the rock glacier (b), rocks and ice (c), and an ice core of apolygenetic landform (d).343
Ni n t h In t e r n at i o n a l Co n f e r e n c e o n Pe r m a f r o s tthe exposure of ground-ice, the thermal regime is disturbed.Increased melting during the summer and the formation of anew active layer is expected.Unique Scientific OpportunitiesEven if the interferences with the periglacial systemof “Kelle” have negative consequences, it offers greatopportunities for permafrost research, which can rarely befound elsewhere. Due to the excavations it was possibleto document and map the inside of rock glaciers and othergeomorphological features. On the rock glacier, stratigraphywas mapped and compared to geophysical soundings(Hilbich et al. 2008).Considering the expected effects of a disturbed thermalregime and increased melting, repeated geodetic surveyswill be conducted. A geodetic survey of the whole area atthe beginning of summer 2008 gives the opportunity toquantify the amount of sediments that has moved in 2007. Asecond survey in autumn 2008 will show if thaw settlementhas occurred. The observed landforms may show differentreaction times and degrees of change. It is known that thepreparation of ski runs is leading to decreasing temperaturein the ground, compared with non-prepared places in thesurrounding area (Rixen et al. 2004); however, the removalof a coarse blocky surface layer, which exerts a strongcooling influence, can lead to significant ground warmingand permafrost degradation (cf. Herz 2006).In addition, ice samples were taken at different locationsand are currently being investigated (Fig. 3). Three icesamples are inspected for visual features such as air bubblesand grain size prior to first sub-sampling for ice density,total ion content (conductivity), and stable water isotope(δ 18 O and δD) measurements. This is expected to lead toinformation about the dominating processes of ice formationand exchange. Here, tritium analyses are envisaged as well,allowing for estimating any influence of recent water. 14 Canalysis of organic impurities might help to infer an upperage limit, in case the ice would date back over severalcenturies.Preliminary ResultsIn 2007, this unique opportunity was used to map thepermafrost landforms, which is the basis for observationof future changes. Because of the disturbed thermal regimeand thawing permafrost, rebuilding of the ski run must beexpected for future years.The pilot analyses of the ice, performed so far, indicate:• An ice texture broadly similar to non-temperate icefound in Alpine ice caves, as characterized by centimetersizegrains, an ice density close, but still significantly below0.9 g/cm 3 , and few but relatively large bubbles.• A surprisingly low ion and dissolved impurity contentlikely due to post depositional snow cover elution andδ 18 O values clearly pointing to freeze on of mainly winterprecipitation.Figure 3. The biggest ice sample (a), which was taken in the ditchfor the snowmaking system (b).ReferencesGruber, S. 2000. Slope instability and permafrost: Aspatial analysis in the Matter Valley, Switzerland.Unpublished Master Thesis. Giessen, Germany:Institute of Geography, Justus Liebig University.Herz, T. 2006. Das Mikroklima grobblockiger Schutthaldender alpinen Periglazialstufe und seine Auswirkungenauf Energieaustauschprozesse zwischen Atmosphäreund Lithosphäre. Institute of Geography, JustusLiebig University Giessen, Germany. URL: http://geb.uni-giessen.de/geb/volltexte/2006/3837/Hilbich, C., Roer, I. & Hauck C. 2008. Ground truthobservations of the interior of a rock glacier asvalidation for geophysical monitoring datasets.Extended Abstracts, <strong>Ninth</strong> <strong>International</strong> <strong>Conference</strong>on Permafrost, Fairbanks, Alaska, 29 June–3 July2008.King, L. 1996. Dauerfrostboden im Gebiet Zermatt–Gornergrat–Stockhorn: Verbreitung undpermafrostbezogene Erschließungsarbeiten. Z.Geomorph. N.F., Suppl. Bd. 104: 73-93.Rixen, C., Haeberli, W. & Stoeckli, V. 2004. Groundtemperatures under ski pistes with artificial andnatural snow. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research36(4): 419 – 427.344
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NICOP 2008 Ninth <
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ContentsPreface ...................
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Mapping and Modeling the Distributi
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Satellite Observations of Frozen Gr
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xiiIce Wedge Thermal Regime in Nort
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xivPermafrost Response to Dynamics
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NICOP SponsorsUniversitiesUniversit
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Deep Permafrost Studies at the Lupi
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Effect of Fire on Pond Dynamics in
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Cryological Status of Russian Soils
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Acoustical Surveys of Methane Plume
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Permafrost Delineation Near Fairban
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Preparatory Work for a Permanent Ge
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A Provisional Soil Map of the Trans
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Martian Permafrost Depths from Orbi
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Time Series Analyses of Active Micr
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Impact of Permafrost Degradation on
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DC Resistivity Soundings Across a P
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Modeling Thermal and Moisture Regim
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A Provisional Permafrost Map of the
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Alpine Permafrost Distribution at M
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Cryogenic Formations of the Caucasu
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Modeling Potential Climatic Change
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A Hypothesis: A Condition of Growth
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Modeled Continual Surface Water Sto
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Freeze/Thaw Properties of Tundra So
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Discontinuous Permafrost Distributi
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Thermal Regime Within an Arctic Was
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Seasonal and Interannual Variabilit
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Twelve-Year Thaw Progression Data f
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Continued Permafrost Warming in Nor
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Landsliding Following Forest Fire o
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A Permafrost Model Incorporating Dy
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Seasonal Sources of Soil Respiratio
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Greenland Permafrost Temperature Si
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The Importance of Snow Cover Evolut
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The Account of Long-Term Air Temper
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The Combined Isotopic Analysis of L
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Adaptating and Managing Nunavik’s
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Human Experience of Cryospheric Cha
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HiRISE Observations of Fractured Mo
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A Soil Freeze-Thaw Model Through th
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Mapping and Modeling the Distributi
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First Results of Ground Surface Tem
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Historical Changes in the Seasonall
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Rock Glaciers in the Kåfjord Area,
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Snowpack Evolution on Permafrost, N
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Climate Change in Permafrost Region
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Maximizing Construction Season in a
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Pleistocene Sand-Wedge, Composite-W
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