Analysis of Climatic Influences on Slope Microseismic Activity and Rockfalls: Case Study of the Matterhorn Peak (Northwestern Alps)
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 138, Issue 8
Abstract
Rock instability and rockfalls are commonly preceded by the initiation and propagation of cracks. This process is accompanied by the release of microseismic energy, which can be detected by means of an appropriate monitoring system. Because an increase in rockfall events have been observed in the Matterhorn Peak area since 2003, in 2007 a microseismic monitoring system and a thermometric monitoring system were installed on the Italian side of the Matterhorn peak, close to the J. A. Carrel hut, as part of the Interreg IIIA Alcotra “PERMAdataROC” project. The objective of the installation was to determine whether this instability increase was connected to climatic fluctuations. Detailed analysis of the recorded microseismic data shows a spatial concentration of microseismic activity on the western side of the investigated slope, and a correlation of these data with thermal information shows that the temporal concentration of the microseismic activity could be traced back to the transitions from warm to cold periods. Cold periods, characterized by a continuous and rapid temperature decrease in time, incurred a higher average daily number of microseismic events.
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Acknowledgments
The described activity has been developed as part of the Interreg IIIA Alcotra project, n. 196 “PERMAdataROC”, whcih is coordinated by the Foundation “Montagna Sicura” (Courmayeur, Italy). The authors wish to thank the Aosta Valley Regional Administration (Direzione Tutela del Territorio, Assessorato Territorio, Ambiente e Opere Pubbliche) for the logistic and financial support, Umberto Morra di Cella and Paolo Pogliotti for having placed the thermal data at our disposal, Claudio Scavia (Politecnico di Torino, Italy) for his precious suggestions on some key topics; Franco Godone, Marco Baldo e Daniele Giordan (CNR-IRPI Torino), for the technical assistance during the topographic surveys at the Carrel hut; Marta Chiarle, Giovanni Mortara and Massimo Arattano (CNR-IRPI Torino) for having involved us in this project and for having shared the recorded microseismic data with us; David Amitrano (Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France) for his scientific support; Marco Succio for the support given during the installation of the monitoring network and during the initial phases of the monitoring activity.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 138 • Issue 8 • August 2012
Pages: 1012 - 1021
Copyright
© 2012. American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 29, 2010
Accepted: Nov 14, 2011
Published online: Nov 16, 2011
Published in print: Aug 1, 2012
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