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Although numerous recent studies have explored the relationship between permafrost degradation and rock slope failure, there is still a need for in‐depth investigations to develop relevant hazard assessment approaches. We investigate the predisposing, triggering and propagation processes of a rock avalanche (c. 225,000 m3) that occurred in Vallon d'Étache (France) on 18 June 2020, whose scar was coated by ice and water. Weather records and energy balance models show that the rock avalanche occurred right after the warmest spring and winter since at least 1985, but also right after the spring with the highest water supply anomaly (snowmelt and rainfall). Measured ground surface temperature and geoelectrical surveys reveal that relatively ice‐rich permafrost could exist in the NW face (release area) while it is inexistent below the SE face, contradicting certain permafrost maps. Heat transfer simulations suggest that the rock avalanche occurred during a transition from cold to warm permafrost conditions at failure depth (30 m), with a temperature increase of up to 0.6°C per decade since 2012 (when considering potential snow cover effect), and current temperature ranging between −3 and −1°C, depending on the applied model forcing. This warming certainly contributed to predispose slope to failure. In addition, the shift towards warm permafrost and water infiltration potentially enhancing permafrost degradation along fractures through heat advection or favouring the development of high hydrostatic pressures may have played as triggering factors. Finally, propagation simulations show that the rock avalanche involved several phases with different rheological properties due to the incorporation of snow and material segregation within the deposit. These new insights at various scales highlight the complexity of the triggering and propagation processes of rock slope failure occurring in high mountains, a significant part of which can be linked to snow effects on ground temperature, water supply and rheological properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the limited landmasses in the Southern Hemisphere, we must rely on data from sub-Antarctic islands within the Southern Ocean to record historical climate patterns. Over the past few decades, glaciers throughout the Southern Ocean region have experienced a noticeable retreat, especially in the Kerguelen Archipelago, whose glacial landforms offer valuable insights into long-term climate fluctuations. Our comprehensive glacial geomorphological study conducted in its remote north-western region meticulously examines morainic complexes from smaller cirque glaciers and larger outlet glaciers stemming from the Cook Ice Cap. We mapped these landforms to reconstruct historical glacier extents during the Holocene. The surface area of the three main glaciers had decreased in 1962–1964 by only 35% compared to their maximum extents, whereas surface area changes across 12 time intervals spanning from 1962 to 2019 from aerial and satellite imagery reveal a cumulative reduction of 43.5%. Additionally, we modelled changes in glacier thickness and equilibrium-line altitude for the key glaciers at three distinct stages: 1) their maximum extent before 1962, 2) the early 1960s and 3) 2019. This multifaceted analysis contributes valuable insights into the dynamics of Kerguelen's glaciers and the broader implications for understanding past and ongoing climate dynamics in the Southern Hemisphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents data from the first years of permafrost monitoring in boreholes in the French Alps that started at the end of 2009 in the framework of the PermaFrance network. Nine boreholes are instrumented, among which six monitored permafrost temperature and active layer thickness (ALT) over >10 years. Ice‐poor and cold permafrost in high‐elevation north‐facing rock walls has warmed by up to >1°C at 10 m depth over the reference decade (2011–2020), whereas ice‐rich permafrost (rock glacier) temperatures remained stable. ALT has increased at four of the five boreholes for which decadal data are available. Summer 2015 marks a turning point in ALT regime and greatest ALT values were observed in 2022 (available for six boreholes), but thawing intensity did not show an obvious change. At one site with a layer of coarse blocks about 2 m thick, ALT was stable over 2018–2022 and response to the hottest years was dampened. Linear trends suggest an ALT increase of 2 m per decade for some ice‐poor rock walls, independently of their thermal state. The data reveal a variety of permafrost patterns and evolution with significant intraregional and local differences. Snow modulates the response to air temperature signal in various ways, with an important effect on near‐surface temperature trends and ALT: early snow melting in spring favors an ALT increase in rock walls. Maintaining these monitoring systems and understanding the physical processes controlling heterogeneous responses to climate signals is crucial to better assess permafrost dynamics and to adapt to its consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proglacial settings in the Alps are typically polygenetic, often characterized by a complex and discontinuous interplay between glacial, fluvial, and gravitational processes. These processes yield high volume of sediments, which usually exceeds the transportation capacity. The excessive proglacial sediment load leads to accumulation on slopes, and thus, to subsequent failures such as debris flows. Such failures can occur unexpectedly and harm the villages and infrastructure in the vicinity of proglacial environments. The northern slopes of the Ferret and Veny valleys in the Mont Blanc Massif are home to several polygenetic cones and are a stunning field laboratory for the exploration of the interplay between the glacial, fluvial, and gravitational processes. This study investigates one of the active and well-preserved polygenetic cones in these valleys, namely the Frébouge cone, to disentangle the geomorphic processes that contributed to its formation, and to reconstruct its evolution. To achieve these goals, detailed field, and remote mapping, 10Be surface exposure dating of different geomorphic features, and runout modelling with DAN3D® were applied. The geomorphological map revealed complex interactions of glacial, fluvial, debris flow, and rock and snow avalanche processes. The established chronology indicates two major fluxes of debris flows, the first one at ca. 2 ka, and the second at ca. 1 ka. In addition, a rock mass with a maximum volume of to 12 Mm3 collapsed in the upper reaches of the cone at 1.3 ± 0.1 ka and overran the cone, travelling more than 100 m up onto the opposite valley slope. Afterwards, the Frébouge Glacier overrode the cone several times leaving moraines and till, reaching its maximum extent ca. 300 years ago. This study underscores the untwisting of the complex interaction of surface processes in the Alpine valleys, which are prone to hit the urban areas and infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]