Mountains are crumbling: 3.5 million cubic feet of rock were thrown into a valley below when a Swiss mountain peak collapsed . Scientists caution that more mountains may crumble as a result of climate change.
On the Swiss-Austrian border, the tallest peak of Mount Fluchthorn crumbled in suddenly ,
Peaks in the Southern Alps of New Zealand and the European Alps, according to experts, are also at risk of collapsing.
According to LiveScience, about 3.5 million cubic feet of earth fell, dumping 40 Olympic swimming pools’ worth of pebbles, mud, and debris into the valley below. A religious cross that marked the peak was damaged, but no one was wounded.
The main, southern peak of Fluchthorn, which had three peaks, used to be its tallest. The center peak, at 11,145 feet, is now the summit and the second-highest mountain in the Silvretta Alps after the south peak collapsed.
According to LiveScience, Mt. Fluchthorn is 60 feet shorter overall than it was earlier this year
Permafrost’s drawback
What caused the peak to fall? Fluchthorn had a lot of permafrost, a layer of ice and dirt that was permanently present beneath the mountain’s surface, like many other mountains in the far north.
The ground’s frozen water holds the ground surface in place and keeps it from shifting, which is why permafrost is crucial. The liquid water can, however, flow away when the ice melts. According to South African geoscientist “the ground surface becomes less stable and can move, frequently very quickly.”
A mass movement occurs when a significant portion of a mountain moves rapidly, such as the mudslide at Fluchthorn.
These large-scale movement events are sparked by the permafrost melting as a result of global warming.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that mountains with permafrost melt have greater and more frequent landslides. According to studies on rockfalls in the Alps, permafrost thawing is frequently sparked by summer heat waves.
The effects of climate change, however, go beyond permafrost. Ice and snow on the surface may also melt, resulting in flooding and mudslides. According to the IPCC, when mountains lose the ice that has been supporting their sides for years, melting glaciers can also result in large-scale changes.
Which mountains are at risk?
When a particular mountain will experience its next landslide or rockfall is a difficult prediction for scientists to make. However, they can monitor worldwide trends and identify which mountain ranges pose a greater threat.
Mass movements are most frequent on mountains with steep terrain and disappearing glaciers. The Southern Alps of New Zealand and the European Alps are particularly rich in mountains that fit those characteristics.
Others are likely to follow when a major movement occurs.
Mass movements are frequently caused by mountains becoming smaller because they exert less pressure on the nearby slopes.
The base of a mountain can occasionally be buttressed and strengthened by landslides and rockfalls. However, they typically make the slope of a mountain more susceptible to changes in the environment. It is more likely for a peak like Fluchthorn to experience mass movements in the future.
The human factor
The IPCC estimates that about 670 million people reside in high-mountain regions worldwide. Mudslides, landslides, rockfalls, and other hazards brought on by climate change endanger their lives.
Mass movements can also raise the possibility of clogged roadways, destroyed farms, and mercury pollution of nearby water sources. Native American communities are disproportionately harmed by these risks.
A mountain may be more or less vulnerable to climate change depending on human behavior. The indigenous peoples of the Alps have a sophisticated system of traditional knowledge for predicting and surviving extreme weather conditions on the mountaintop.
They employ agricultural terraces, which are step-like tiers of agriculture positioned along the mountain’s slope and “prevent soil erosion and landslides .
The top of the mountain needs natural grazing and local tree species to serve as water sponges in order for the terrace approach to be successful. Similar water management techniques have been successfully used for 1,300 years in the Stone Village in Yunnan, China.
Landslides occur as a result of the degradation of mountain ecosystems and the abandonment of terraces. He went on to say that further destabilizing the alpine habitats were mining and road construction.
The future
Mountain habitats change more swiftly as climate change picks up speed. Mass movements will increase in frequency during the next ten years.
However, there is still hope. Scientists think we still have time to stop the worst effects from occurring, protect the planet’s mountains and the communities that live nearby, and slow down climate change while also preventing mountain deterioration.
To the best of the author’s knowledge, this article is accurate and true. Content should not be used as a substitute for consulting with a lawyer or other qualified advisor in topics of business, finances, law, or technology. It is only for informational or entertaining reasons.
