Geological Society of America

T7 A Bird’s Eye View: Remote Sensing Applications for Geohazards

Sunday, 9 October 2022
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
405

THE JUNE 28TH, 2022 CHAOS CANYON LANDSLIDE IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, CO

Paper number: T7-11
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 10:15 AM – 10:30 AM

Authors

Matthew Morriss Presenting Author
Utah Water Science Center, West Valley City, UT
George Brencher
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Brianna Rick
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Benjamin Lehmann
University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
Benjamin Campforts
University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
Alexander Handwerger
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
Alexander Handwerger
University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles

Abstract

The Chaos Canyon landslide which took place on the afternoon of June 28^th, 2022 in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) presents an exciting opportunity to evaluate instabilities within alpine regions experiencing ever increasing warming temperatures and dynamic climate. Video documentation of this landslide was captured by several eyewitnesses and motivated a rapid field campaign by regional Earth Scientists. Initial estimates put the failure area at ~66,630 m², ranging in elevation from 3450 to 3660 m above sea level. We undertook a rapid, multi-pronged investigation of volumes of material involved; potential presence of interstitial ice/snow within the failed deposit which may contributed to the destabilization, and potential climatological forcings at work in causing the destabilization. Material volumes were estimated using Structure from Motion (SfM) models incorporating photographs from two field expeditions on July 8^th, 2022 – 10 days after the slide. Satellite InSAR measurements from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellites were used to measure deformation of the landslide mass in the months and years leading up to destabilization. Detailed landslide mapping was conducted using field photographs and SfM models. The reconstruction of near surface temperature evolution has been used to evaluate the potential control of permafrost related processes in the event. Finally, we analyzed the pre-slide climate using the long-term Loch Vale meteorological station, ~2 km south of the slide, and the Bear Lake SNOTEL site ~3 km SE of the slide. This holistic approach to the Chaos Canyon landslide provides us the best chance of better understanding the mechanisms at work in the months leading up to June 28^th and into the moment of failure.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 54, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2022AM-381983

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