Gravitational Mass Movements

Gravitational Mass Movements

Deposit oft he Craigieburn rock avalanche, New Zealand. Picture taken from the source area
(A.Dufresne, unpublished field study).

Dr. Anja Dufresne

Patrick Burgert

Prof. Dr. Thomas Kenkmann

Term: since 2010

Co-operation partner:

Dr. Matthias Rosenau, GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam

Abstract Bergstürze or rock avalanches belong to the group of gravitational mass movements. They originate from rockslopes in which fracturing, shearing or other deformational and environmental processes prepare the rock mass until gravitational pull and/or larger earthquakes trigger slope failure. The rock mass descends the slope at high velocities and spreads across the landscape within minutes. Slope failure and avalanche emplacement processes are being investigated through analogue laboratory experiments utilizing particle image velocimetry. Main focus of these investigations lies on the influence of material properties, sediments in the runout path and topographic variants on the dynamic of these geological processes.