Rock Glacier Inventory and Permafrost Measurements, Hautes Alpes Calcaires

Data collected during 1992 and 1997 provides an inventory of rock glaciers in the Hautes Alpes Calcaires limestone range of Switzerland. For each feature, the dataset likely contains characteristics like orientation, width, length, elevation, form type, material, activity, and lithology. It also includes specific temperature measurements, such as Bottom Temperature under Snow cover (BTS) and spring temperatures, particularly for the Cabane des Diablerets Rock Glacier.

Use Cases

• Analyzing rock glacier morphology and distribution based on orientation, width, length, and elevation attributes.
• Modeling permafrost distribution in transitional alpine climates using soil and snow temperature measurements.
• Assessing rock glacier activity and material composition for geohazard evaluation.
• Comparing climatic conditions between wet Prealpes and drier central Valais using precipitation context.

Strengths

• Contains specific field measurements like BTS and spring temperatures for key rock glaciers.
• Covers a defined geographic area (Morcles, Chavalard, Diablerets, and Wildhorn ranges) with described climatic context.
• Includes a modeled permafrost distribution map for the sector.

Limitations

• The inventory is explicitly noted as incomplete.
• Conflicting metadata: one source lists a last update of 2026-04 09 (likely an error), while another indicates data collection ended in 1997.
• Column names and exact row counts are not provided, limiting precise technical assessment.

Provenance

Source

Data originally provided on the CAPS Version 1.0 CD-ROM, June 1998.

Collection Method

Field inventory and measurements, including temperature loggers and snow profiles.

Time Range

1992 to 1997

Freshness

1997-12-31 23:59:59.999000

Geography

Hautes Alpes Calcaires, northern Rhone Valley, Switzerland (Morcles, Chavalard, Diablerets, Wildhorn ranges)