Alpine Mass Movement Forms (Noncatastrophic): Classification, Description, and Significance

Abstract

A variety of noncatastrophic and distinctly alpine mass movement forms may be classified under three basic terms: (1) talus, with rockfall talus, alluvial talus, avalanche talus, avalanche boulder tongue, and protalus rampart as subtypes; (2) rock glacier, subdivided into tongue-shaped and lobate; and (3) block slope, with the rare (in the alpine) block field, and block stream as subtypes. These mass movement forms reveal past and present local and microclimates, rates of erosion, postglacial valley wall, cliff, and ridge crest changes, and periglacial events during Neoglaciation.