Ziegler Martin, Loew Simon, Amann Florian (2016), Near-surface rock stress orientations in alpine topography derived from exfoliation fracture surface markings and 3D numerical modelling, in
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROCK MECHANICS AND MINING SCIENCES, 85, 129-151.
Ziegler Martin, Loew Simon, Bahat Dov (2014), Growth of exfoliation joints and near-surface stress orientations inferred from fractographic markings observed in the upper Aar valley (Swiss Alps), in
TECTONOPHYSICS, 626, 1-20.
Ziegler Martin, Loew Simon, Moore Jeffrey (2013), Distribution and inferred age of exfoliation joints in the Aar Granite of the central Swiss Alps and relationship to Quaternary landscape evolution, in
GEOMORPHOLOGY, 201, 344-362.
Loew Simon, Strauhal Thomas (2013), Pore pressure distributions in brittle translational rockslides, in
Italian Journal of Engineering Geology and Environment, 165-175.
Loew Simon, Gischig Valentin, Moore Jeffrey, Keller-Signer Alexandra (2012), Monitoring of potentially catastrophic rockslides, in
Landslides and Engineered Slopes: Protecting Society through Improved Understanding, BanffTaylor & Francis Group, London.
Loew Simon, Gischig Valentin, Willenberg Heike, Alpiger Andrea, Moore Jeffrey (2012), Randa: Kinematics and driving mechanisms of a large complex rockslide, in Clague John (ed.), Cambridge, Cambridge, 297-309.
Hansmann Jürgen, Loew Simon, Evans Keith (2012), Reversible rock-slope deformations caused by cyclic water-table fluctuations in mountain slopes of the Central Alps, Switzerland, in
Hydrogeology Journal, 20, 73-91.
Moore JR, Gischig V, Katterbach M, Loew S (2011), Air circulation in deep fractures and the temperature field of an alpine rock slope, in
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, 36(15), 1985-1996.
Gischig V, Amann F, Moore JR, Loew S, Eisenbeiss H, Stempfhuber W (2011), Composite rock slope kinematics at the current Randa instability, Switzerland, based on remote sensing and numerical modeling, in
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY, 118(1-2), 37-53.
Moore JR, Gischig V, Burjanek J, Loew S, Fah D (2011), Site Effects in Unstable Rock Slopes: Dynamic Behavior of the Randa Instability (Switzerland), in
BULLETIN OF THE SEISMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA, 101(6), 3110-3116.
Gischig VS, Moore JR, Evans KF, Amann F, Loew S (2011), Thermomechanical forcing of deep rock slope deformation: 1. Conceptual study of a simplified slope, in
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE, 116(F04010), 1-18.
Gischig VS, Moore JR, Evans KF, Amann F, Loew S (2011), Thermomechanical forcing of deep rock slope deformation: 2. The Randa rock slope instability, in
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE, 116(F04011), 1-17.
Loew Simon, Gischig Valentin, Glüer Franziska, Seifert Reto, Moore Jeffres, Multidisciplinary monitoring of progressive failure processes in brittle rock slopes, in Xia-Ting Feng (ed.), CRC Press / Balkema, Leiden, 629-662.
Cycles of glacial erosion and retreat expose Alpine valley rockwalls in an oversteepened, meta-stable state. The subsequent rock slope response will vary with changing in-situ stress conditions, material properties, slope geometry and local environmental conditions, and may include generation of new fractures, gravitational deformation, or catastrophic collapse. Although paraglacial rock slope failures are among the fastest and most dramatic elements of the landscape response to erosion and deglaciation, large unknowns remain relating to key themes of underlying failure processes, controlling parameters, and instability distributions. This study presents a comprehensive research plan aimed to critically evaluate the response and instability characteristics of rockwalls subjected to glacial erosion and debuttressing associated with repeated cycles of Quaternary glaciation. We bring a solid background in landslide analysis, rock mechanics and rock slope hydraulics, and focus our attention specifically on complex interactions between valley glaciers, rock slopes, and the local Alpine environment. The project considers three main time scales and slope reactions in detail: 1) Pleistocene glacial erosion and exfoliation fracturing in massive rocks, 2) Late Glacial rock slope response and rock mass strength degradation, and 3) On-going rock slope response related to recent glacial retreat. Each theme will be addressed through three interrelated PhD projects, and the envisioned PhD students will cooperate intensively. The study area selected for this project is in the central Swiss Alps in the region between the Aletsch glacier in the west and the Unteraar glacier in the east (Figs 1-3).PhD project 1 aims to improve our understanding of exfoliation joint formation, including details of fracture processes and relevant time scales, which remain controversial today. The study area of this project - especially the Grimsel Pass area - is well suited to study the 3D geometry of exfoliation fractures (both at ground surface and in galleries), to assess in-situ stress conditions, and to relate fracturing to erosional surfaces from different time periods. PhD project 2 will focus on investigating mechanical controls on the regional distribution of paraglacial rock slope failures. This sub-project will be strongly based on field observations documenting rockslide occurrence, glacier extents at key stages, and variations in rock mass properties. Following quantitative analyses will explore correlations between the landslide distribution and mapped ice levels, 3D near-surface stress changes, and time-dependent rock mass strength properties. PhD project 3 will include detailed monitoring of ongoing slope deformations associated with an actively retreating glacier, and on understanding the underlying processes forcing these moments and how they relate to glacier dynamics. The study area of this project - especially the Aletsch glacier - offers the unique opportunity to relate current slope movements and recent failures to well-constrained glacier retreat. We will focus on the latest monitoring methods with large spatial coverage and high resolution (i.e. ground-based radar interferometry) complemented with in-situ measurements. All field data will be interpreted with numerical models to improve our understanding of brittle rock mass behavior and exfoliation joint formation, factors controlling the distribution of paraglacial rock slope failures, and ongoing processes of slope deformation in actively deglaciating environments.