Study on the May 28 Birch high-altitude and long-runout ice-rock avalanche in the Swiss Alps
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摘要:
2025年5月28日，瑞士南部瓦莱州阿尔卑斯山脉桦树（Birch）冰川发生高位远程冰岩崩-碎屑流灾害，导致下游Blatten镇与Ried村被彻底摧毁，300余人紧急撤离，1人失踪。文章基于多期卫星遥感影像、灾害前后的无人机数据、滑震信号和现场视频资料，对“5•28”Birch高位冰岩崩-碎屑流灾害的发育特征、演化过程和成灾动力学开展了系统研究。初步结果表明：受全球气候变暖和冻融循环共同驱动，位于Birch冰川上部南侧、相对高差约300 m的Nesthorn峰频繁发生岩崩，坠落的碎屑物质持续堆积于冰川表面，在削弱冰川物质亏损的同时增强了冰川的塑性流动，促使前缘鼓胀变形加剧以及冰裂缝扩展。遥感解译显示：近10年来冰川面积扩张约44%，冰舌向前运动约110 m。地质灾害发生过程中，约3.0×106 m3的楔形崩滑体发生高位失稳，以约36 m/s的速度持续冲击加载下部Birch冰川，引发共计约6.0×106 m3的冰川及其上覆碎屑发生整体失稳，随后转换成高速远程运动的冰岩碎屑流，并以约64 m/s的平均速度冲出沟口，在与对岸山体发生碰撞后就位堆积。这类发育于高寒、高海拔极高山区的冰岩型高位远程地质灾害在我国喜马拉雅造山带广泛分布，严重威胁系列重大工程地质安全，文章可为相关防灾减灾提供一定参考。
Abstract:On May 28, 2025, a high-altitude and long-runout ice-rock avalanche disaster occurred at the Birch Glacier in the Alps of the Valais region in southern Switzerland. This incident completely devastated the downstream towns of Blatten and Ried, leading to the emergency evacuation of over 300 individuals, with one person reported missing. This study presents a systematic investigation into the developmental characteristics, evolutionary processes, and disaster dynamics of the “5•28” Birch high-altitude and long-runout ice-rock avalanche, utilizing multi-temporal satellite remote sensing images, UAV data collected pre- and post-disaster, landquake signal, and on-site video footage. Preliminary results indicate that the Nesthorn Peak, located at a relative altitude of approximately 300 meters on the south side of the upper Birch Glacier, frequently experienced rockfalls driven by a combination of global climate warming and freeze-thaw cycles. While the accumulated debris on the glacier surface suppressed glacial ablation, it enhanced plastic flow, intensified bulging at the glacier front, and promoted the expansion of ice crevasses. Remote sensing interpretation revealed that the glacier area has expanded by approximately 44% over the past decade, with the glacier tongue advancing about 110 meters. During the disaster, around 3.0×106 m3 of wedge-shaped sliding mass experienced high-altitude instability, continually impacting the lower Birch Glacier at a velocity of about 36 m/s. This triggered a total instability involving approximately 6.0×106 m3 of glacial material and its covered debris, which subsequently transformed into a rapidly moving ice-rock avalanche that surged out of the valley at an average speed of 64 m/s, accumulating upon collision with the opposite mountainside. Such high-altitude and long-runout geological disasters, characterized by ice-rock compositions and developed in high-mountains area, are widely distributed throughout the Himalayan orogenic belt in China, posing serious threats to the geological safety of major engineering projects. This research may provide useful references for disaster prevention and mitigation strategies.
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Key words:
- Birch Glacier /
- glacier detachment /
- high-altitude and long-runout /
- ice-rock avalanche
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图 10 冰川区灾前变形演化特征（数据来源：萨瓦勃朗峰大学Melaine Le Roy博士、Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen新闻报道）
Figure 10.
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