CLIMATE CHANGE AND ROCK FALL EVENTS IN HIGH MOUNTAIN AREAS: NUMEROUS AND EXTENSIVE ROCK FALLS IN 2007 AT MITTLERER BURGSTALL, CENTRAL AUSTRIA

Kellerer‐Pirklbauer, A., Lieb, G.K.,Avian, M. and Carrivick, J., 2012. Climate change and rock fall events in high mountain areas: numerous and extensive rock falls in 2007 at Mittlerer Burgstall, Central Austria. Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 94, 597ndash;78. doi:10.1111/j.1468‐0459.2011.00449.AbstractLandslides in alpine areas are becoming more frequent. In 2007, a number of rock fall events occurred on the sharp SE‐ridge of the mountain Mittlerer Burgstall (2933 ma.s.l., 47°06′ 07″ N; 12° 42′ 36″ E) completely changing the shape of the mountain. Before the events, the SE‐ridge was sharp with steep rock faces on both sides. The mountain was a nunatak surrounded by two glacier tongues of Pasterze Glacier during the Little Ice Age. In this paper we use geomorphological mapping, permafrost distribution modelling, glacier reconstruction, surface and near‐surface ground temperature data, air temperature data, and airborne laserscanning data to assess these multiple rock fall events. Resu...