Seismic Constraints on Damage Growth Within an Unstable Hanging Glacier
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Date
2023-05-16
Publication Type
Journal Article
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yes
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Abstract
Forecasting hanging glacier instabilities remain challenging as sensing technology focusing on the ice surface fails to detect englacial damage leading to large-scale failure. Here, we combine icequake cluster analysis with coda wave interferometry constraining damage growth on Switzerland's Eiger hanging glacier before a 15,000 m3 break-off event. The method focuses on icequake migration within clusters rather than previously proposed “event counting.” Results show that one cluster originated from the glacier front and migrated by 13.9(±1.2) m within 5 weeks before the break-off event. The corresponding crevasse extension separates unstable and stable ice masses. We use the measured source displacement for damage parametrization and find a 90% agreement between an analytical model based on damage mechanics and frontal flow velocities measured with an interferometric radar. Our analysis provides observational constraints for damage growth, which to date is primarily a theoretical concept for modeling englacial fractures.
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published
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Journal / series
Volume
50 (9)
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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Edition / version
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Date collected
Date created
Subject
environmental seismology; hanging glaciers; coda wave interferometry; icequake multiplets; natural hazards
Organisational unit
09599 - Farinotti, Daniel / Farinotti, Daniel
Notes
Funding
157551 - Glacial Hazard Monitoring with Seismology (GlaHMSeis) (SNF)