Item: CASE STUDY OF A SLUSHFLOW IN SKARMODAL, NORWAY, IN 2010
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Title: CASE STUDY OF A SLUSHFLOW IN SKARMODAL, NORWAY, IN 2010
Proceedings: Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Whistler, BC, Canada, 2026
Authors:
- Peter Gauer [ Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Norway ]
Date: 2026-09-28
Abstract: Slushflows are a well-known hazard in Arctic regions and, to a lesser extent, in alpine environments. With ongoing climate change, conditions that promote their release—such as specific weather patterns and snowpack structures—are expected to occur more frequently, increasing their relevance for hazard assessment. Despite this, observational data suitable for the development and validation of numerical models remain limited. Reliable back-calculations with dynamic models require well-constrained initial and boundary conditions, including release area and average release depth, as well as detailed observations of flow dynamics. In particular, run-out distance alone is insufficient for model calibration; velocity and flow depth data along the flow path are essential. This study focuses on the documented slushflow event in Skarmodalen on 16 May 2010, for which front velocities were determined over a distance of approx. 600 m in the central section of the path. Based on these observations, a profile of frontal velocity and a set of initial conditions are derived. These data are then used for back-calculations with a dynamic numerical model. The results contribute to improving the calibration and validation of slushflow models and highlight the importance of detailed field observations for hazard assessment under changing climatic conditions.
Object ID: ISSW2026_P1.15.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15788/1790098719
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): PETER Gauer
Keywords: slush-flow; observations; dynamics
Page Number(s): 479 - 484
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