Fossil Rock Glacier Inventory of the Swiss Prealps

Swiss Prealps contain 25 identified fossil rock glaciers, representing at least three distinct late-glacial generations. This dataset provides morphological and geological attributes for each feature, including orientation, elevation, area, and lithology. Data were compiled by NASA and published on the CAPS Version 1.0 CD-ROM in June 1998.

Use Cases

• Reconstructing late-glacial paleoclimate by analyzing the altitude and generation of fossil rock glaciers relative to the modern permafrost boundary.
• Mapping the distribution of periglacial landforms within specific geological nappes (Prealpes medianes rigides, Niesen).
• Studying the morphostratigraphy of glacial stages using attributes like type of form, material, and generation.
• Quantifying the spatial characteristics of fossil rock glacier features using recorded area, orientation, and elevation data.

Strengths

• Dataset contains a specific inventory of 25 distinct fossil rock glacier features.
• Features are classified into at least three generations, providing a temporal framework for analysis.
• Includes detailed morphological attributes such as orientation, elevation, area, and lithology for each feature.

Limitations

• Conflicting last updated dates: 1998 per NASA Earthdata vs. 2026 per Data.gov, suggesting metadata inconsistency.
• Original data is from a 1998 CD-ROM release, which may limit data accessibility and modern format compatibility.
• Exact row count, file size, and column structure are not provided by any source.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Collection Method

Field investigation and mapping within the western lobe of the Swiss Prealps.

Time Range

Late-glacial age (older than Balling).

Freshness

1995-12-31

Geography

Western lobe of the Prealps (Swiss Prealps), Vaud, Switzerland, at altitudes of 1500 to 2100 m.