Note: This data set was first published on the 1998 CAPS CD.
The text for this document was taken unchanged from that CD.

See also Description of Data Files.

Rock glacier inventory
Printse Valley (Valais, Switzerland)

Investigators

Emmanuel Reynard
Christophe Lambiel
Laurent Wenker

Organization

University of Lausanne, Institute of Geography
BFSH 2
CH - 1015 Lausanne
Phone : ++41 21 6923076
Fax : ++41 21 6923075
E-mail : Emmanuel.Reynard@igul.unil.ch
E-mail : Laurent.Wenker@igul.unil.ch

Geographic extent

Study site: Printse Valley and Louvie Basin, Penninic Alps, Switzerland

Northwestern latitude 46 10' N
Northwestern longitude 7 16' E
Southeastern latitude 46 02' N
Southeastern longitude 7 22' E

Period of investigation

1992, 1997

Description

The Printse Valley is a 16 kilometre long north-oriented basin. The south-part (summits at 3300 m a.s.l.) is glacierized. The intermediate sector, more continental, is very rich in rock glaciers. We have inventoried 46 rock glaciers. A second sector is the south-oriented basin of Louvie, in which we have inventoried 25 rock glaciers. For each rock glacier there is a file containing orientation, width, length, elevation of the spring and the front, type of form, type of material, activity, lithology, etc. Measurements of spring temperatures and BTS (Bottom temperature under snow cover) exist for some rock glaciers, especially in the Tortin zone (see maps).

Current storage of data

The inventory is stored on electronic file (Filemaker Pro 2.0 for Macintosh) and on paper. The data are not at risk of being lost, as they are held at:

University of Lausanne, Institute of Geography
BFSH 2
CH - 1015 Lausanne

Bibliography - published and unpublished reports

BAUD M., HAUSER K. (1997) : Geomorphological map of Cleuson (Nendaz Valley), University of Lausanne, Institute of Geography, (in French, unpublished).

BRETZ N., GIROUD M. (1993) : Geomorphological map of the Mont Gele, University of Lausanne, Institute of Geography, (in French, unpublished).

CRITTIN C., JUNGO S. (1998) : Geomorphological map of the Dent de Nendaz, University of Lausanne, Institute of Geography, (in French, unpublished).

GASPOZ A. (1996) : Geomorphological map of Siviez (Nendaz Valley), University of Lausanne, Institut de Geographie, (in French, unpublished).

GLASSEY F. (1996) : Geomorphological map of Siviez (Nendaz / VS), University of Lausanne, Institut de Geographie, (in French, unpublished).

GUIMERA J., FUMEAUX D. (1998) : Geomorphological map of St-Laurent/Rosablanche, University of Lausanne, Institut de Geographie, (in French, unpublished).

REYNARD E. (1996) : Rock glaciers and limits of discontinuous permafrost in the Tortin valley, Bulletin de la Murithienne, 114, 135-149, (in French).

Keywords

1. Penninic Alps, Switzerland
2. Rock glaciers
3. BTS measurements
4. Spring temperature measurements
5. Inventory of rock glaciers

Please cite these data as follows:

Reynard, E., Lambiel, C., and Wenker, L. 1998. Rock glaciers, Printse Valley, Valais, Switzerland. In: International Permafrost Association, Data and Information Working Group, comp. Circumpolar Active-Layer Permafrost System (CAPS), version 1.0. CD-ROM available from National Snow and Ice Data Center, nsidc@kryos.colorado.edu. Boulder, Colorado: NSIDC, University of Colorado at Boulder.