Synonyms
Rock avalanche; Rock-fall avalanche; Rock-fall generated debris stream; Sturzstrom
Definition
Rock avalanche (sturzstrom) were defined by Hsü (1975) based on Heim’s (1932) description of phenomena described with the German terms “Bergsturz,” “Trümmerstrom,” “Sturzstrom” as a stream of very rapidly moving debris derived from the disintegration of a fallen rock mass of very large size; the speed of a rock avalanche often exceeds 100 km/h, and its volume is commonly greater than 1 × 106 m3.
Discussion
Rock avalanches are among the most hazardous landslides phenomena due to the speed, size, and run-out distance. Rock avalanches have destroyed entire villages and killed thousands. The run-out distance of a rock avalanche often exceeds several kilometers and the mobility becomes visible by the run up on opposite valley slopes, which is related to the volume of the initial rock failure (Scheidegger, 1973) and the morphology of the flow path (Nicoletti and Sorriso Valvo, 1991) but...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Bibliography
Blikra, L. H., Longva, O., Braathen, A., Anda, E., Dehls, J. F., and Stalsberg, K., 2006. Rock slope failures in Norwegian fjord areas: examples, spatial distribution and temporal pattern. In Evans, S. G., Scaraascia Mugnozza, G., Strom, A., and Hermanns, R. L. (eds.), Landslides from Massive Rock Slope Failures. Dodrecht: Springer, pp. 475–496.
Dunning, S. A., Mitchell, W. A., Rosser, N. J., and Petley, D. N., 2007. The Hattian rock avalanche associated landslides triggered by the Kashmir earthquake of 8 October 2005. Engineering Geology, 93, 130–144.
Heim, A., 1932. Bergsturz und Menschenleben. Zurich: Fretz & Wasmuth Verlag.
Hermanns, R. L., Niedermann, S., Villanueva Garcia, A., and Schellenberger, A., 2006a. Rock avalanching in the NW Argentine Andes as a result of complex interactions of lithologic, stuructural and topographic boundary conditions, climate change and active tectonics. In Evans, S. G., Scaraascia Mugnozza, G., Strom, A., and Hermanns, R. L. (eds.), Landslides from Massive Rock Slope Failures. Dodrecht: Springer, pp. 497–520.
Hermanns, R. L., Blikra, L. H., Naumann, M., Nilsen, B., Panthi, K. K., Stromeyer, D., and Longva, O., 2006b. Examples of multiple rock-slope collapses from Köfels (Ötz valley, Austria) and western Norway. Engineering Geology, 83, 94–108.
Hsü, K. J., 1975. Catastrophic Debris Streams (Sturzstroms) generated by rockfalls. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 86, 129–140.
Hungr, O., and Evans, S. G., 2004. Entrainment of debris in rock avalanches: An analysis of long run-out mechanism. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 116, 1240–1252.
Nicoletti, P. G., and Sorriso-Valvo, M., 1991. Geomorphic controls of the shape and mobility of rock avalanches. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 103, 1365–1373.
Scheidegger, A. E., 1973. On the prediction of reach and velocity of catastrophic landslides. Rock Mechanics, 5, 231–236.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this entry
Cite this entry
Hermanns, R.L. (2013). Rock Avalanche (Sturzstrom). In: Bobrowsky, P.T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4399-4_301
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4399-4_301
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-8699-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-4399-4
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences