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Abstract Rock glaciers are common in alpine landscapes, but their evolution over time and their significance as agents of debris transport are not well‐understood. Here, we assess the movement of an ice‐cemented rock glacier over a range of timescales using GPS surveying, satellite‐based radar, and cosmogenic10Be surface‐exposure dating. GPS and InSAR measurements indicate that the rock glacier moved at an average rate of ∼10 cm yr−1in recent years. Sampled boulders on the rock glacier have cosmogenic surface‐exposure ages from 1.2 to 10 ka, indicating that they have been exposed since the beginning of the Holocene. Exposure ages increase linearly with distance downslope, suggesting a slower long‐term mean surface velocity of 3 ± 0.3 cm yr−1. Our findings suggest that the behavior of this rock glacier may be dominated by episodes of dormancy punctuated by intervals of relatively rapid movement over both short and long timescales. Our findings also show that the volume of the rock glacier corresponds to ∼10 m of material stripped from the headwall during the Holocene. These are the first cosmogenic surface‐exposure ages to constrain movement of a North American rock glacier, and together with the GPS and satellite radar measurements, they reveal that rock glaciers are effective geomorphic agents with dynamic multi‐millennial histories.
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This content will become publicly available on April 1, 2026
Exploring Holocene Climate History and Alpine Landscape Evolution From Rock Glacier Dynamics: Mt Sopris, CO, USA
Abstract Rock glaciers dominate the cryosphere in mid‐latitude alpine settings, yet their activity and their histories remain challenging to constrain. We focus on the Thomas Lake rock glacier on Mt. Sopris in Colorado, USA. We measure surface velocities by feature tracking of image pairs and document Holocene10Be exposure ages on surface debris. The surface speeds average 0.8 m/yr and peak at 2 m/yr in a steep reach. Exposure ages range from 1.4 to 13.2 kyr and monotonically increase down‐glaciers. Ages exceeding 6 kyr occur in the bottom quarter of the landform, coinciding with sporadic tree cover. These constraints constrain a numerical model of Holocene rock glacier activity. In our model, surface velocity is entirely explained by the deformation of the ice‐rich core with the extra load of the rocky carapace. Surface mass balance is simplified to an accumulation area of ice and debris equivalent to the avalanche cone, and very low, uniform ablation in the remaining rock glacier where rock cover minimizes melt. Climate drives the activity through a history of ice accumulation in the avalanche cone. Matching the observed age and speed structure requires: (a) Early Holocene growth of the rock glacier, (b) low accumulation during the middle Holocene warm period (Hypsithermal), and (c) two Neoglacial accumulation pulses, the most recent being the Little Ice Age. Pulses travel down the valley as kinematic waves, re‐activating the landform. The headwall retreat rate of 4 mm/yr, inferred from rocky layer thickness and surface speed, far outpaces bedrock down wearing rates.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2419344
- PAR ID:
- 10587435
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Geophysical Union
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface
- Volume:
- 130
- Issue:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 2169-9003
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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