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Geomorphology and event-stratigraphy of recent mass-movement processes in Lake Hallstatt (UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape, Austria)
Journal article

Geomorphology and event-stratigraphy of recent mass-movement processes in Lake Hallstatt (UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape, Austria)

  • Strasser, Michael ORCID Department of Geology, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
  • Berberich, T. Department of Geology, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
  • Fabbri, S. ORCID Institute of Geological Sciences and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
  • Hilbe, M. Institute of Geological Sciences and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
  • Huang, J-J. S. ORCID Department of Geology, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
  • Lauterbach, S. ORCID Leibniz Laboratory for Radiometric Dating and Stable Isotope Research, Kiel University, Max-Eyth-Str. 11-13, 24118 Kiel, Germany
  • Ortler, M. ORCID Department of Geology, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
  • Rechschreiter, H. Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Burgring 7, 1010 Wien, Austria
  • Brauer, A. Section Climate Dynamics and Landscape Evolution, GFZ-German Research Centre for Geosciences, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
  • Anselmetti, F. Institute of Geological Sciences and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
  • Kowarik, K. Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Burgring 7, 1010 Wien, Austria
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  • 2019-12-19
Published in:
  • Geological Society, London, Special Publications. - Geological Society of London. - 2019, vol. 500, no. 1, p. 405-426
Geology
Ocean Engineering
Water Science and Technology
English AbstractWe report the first-ever basin-wide geomorphological characterization of a high-resolution bathymetry map in a steeply incised valley-occupying intra-mountainous lake in the Eastern Alps. The resulting new geomorphological map of Lake Hallstatt is then combined with high-resolution reflection seismic and sedimentary core analyses to document, characterize and date recent (<200 years) subaquatic landslides. The area is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape of the Hallstatt–Dachstein area, famous for its well-documented medieval and prehistoric human settlement history. This allows us to calibrate observed mass-transport deposits (MTDs) in the high-resolution sedimentary archive (sedimentation rates c. 0.5 cm a−1) of this deep lake dominated by clastic sedimentation.The hydro-acoustic data document a multitude of different MTDs linked to rock falls, subaqueous slope failures and shore collapses. Sediment cores document laminated background sediments intercalated with distinct event deposits that can be linked to historically documented major flood events and moderately strong earthquakes. Our study suggests that the larger MTDs result from earthquake-triggered subaquatic delta slope instabilities and that the deeper subsurface provides evidence of even larger mass-movement processes, yet to be validated by longer cores. Thus, Lake Hallstatt is a potential natural laboratory for studying causes and consequences of subaquatic landslides in steeply incised intra-mountainous lakes and comparable fjord settings.
Language
  • English
Open access status
closed
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Persistent URL
https://sonar.ch/global/documents/234753
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