M. Chiarle (1) J. Clague (2) M. Geertsema (3) M. Giardino (4) G. Mortara (1, 5) G. Nigrelli (1) L. Perotti (4) G. Roberti (2) C. Viani (4) B. Ward (2) B. van Wyk de Vries (6), 2017, Morphodynamics of glacial and periglacial environments and related hazards_ case studies in the mountains of Northern Italy and Western Canada, 9th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GEOMORPHOLOGY (9th ICG) - Geomorphology and Society, New Delhi, India, 6-11/11/2017,
URL: http://www.cnr.it/prodotto/i/377502

The analysis of glacial and periglacial morphodynamics and the study of past climate changes are important tasks for scientific and management purposes within recently deglaciated areas. Climate changes and related effects occurring in the last decades cause uncertainties on the survival of glaciers and affect stability of mountains. A systematic study of natural hazards related to glacial and periglacial morphodynamics of the Western Alps in Italy and the Coast Mountain and the Cordillera in Canada started only in the early 1990s. Since then, several instability phenomena of these glacial and periglacial environments have been analyzed, as well as their relationship with the climatic and environmental changes taking place since the end of the Little Ice Age. From the beginning of the 2000s, it became clear that environmental changes related to global warming were accelerating so quickly in high elevation and glaciated mountains. Within this perspective, we started an international effort to collect data and compare geomorphic processes occurring in the high mountains of two distant geographic areas, but with similar physiographic characteristics. Aims was to provide scientists and local administrations with the most advanced knowledge and tools to deal with climate-related instability events occurred in glacial and periglacial areas of the Italian Alps and of Western Canada, such as landslides, debris flows, glacial lake outburst floods, ice avalanches. We identified the types of instability mainly conditioned by climate change and discussed hazard scenarios. Methodological approaches used in Italy and Canada for studying the impacts of degrading permafrost and glacier ice loss on mountain environments were compared, and strategies for communication and dissemination of results were addressed. Studies have shown differences and similarities among the two areas, which highlight the effects of regional/local physiography and climate and, at the same time, confirm the global scale of the changes underway.

Data from https://intranet.cnr.it/people/