Austrian Alps Rock Glacier Inventory

1451 rock glaciers in the Austrian Alps were inventoried from aerial photographs taken primarily between 1980 and 1990. The dataset records their location, activity status, and morphometric characteristics, such as length, width, and elevation. Only 19% were classified as intact, with the remaining 81% identified as relict features, many dating to the Late Glacial period.

Use Cases

• Analyzing permafrost distribution based on rock glacier activity and lower elevation limits.
• Studying Late Glacial climate conditions through the spatial patterns of relict rock glaciers.
• Modeling geomorphic processes using morphometric parameters like length, width, and elevation range.
• Comparing rock glacier characteristics across different mountain groups and lithologies (limestone vs. metamorphic rocks).

Strengths

• Contains a substantial inventory of 1451 individual rock glaciers.
• Provides detailed morphometric parameters for each feature, including length, width, and elevation.
• Activity classification (intact vs. relict) offers insight into current and past permafrost conditions.

Limitations

• Aerial photo quality prevented distinction between active and inactive rock glaciers within the 'intact' class.
• Metadata conflicts exist: one platform lists a last update in 2026, while another suggests a primary data collection period ending in 1990.
• Specific column names and geographic coordinates are not explicitly provided in the available metadata.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Mapped from aerial photographs.

Time Range

1980-1990

Freshness

Last updated metadata is listed as 2026-04-09, but core data collection period is 1980-1990.

Geography

Austrian Alps, covering the Northern, Central, and Southern ranges of the Eastern Alps.