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Landslide-Induced River Disruption : Geomorphic Imprints and Scaling Effects in Alpine Catchments of South Westland and Fiordland, New Zealand

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dc.contributor.author Korup, Oliver
dc.date.accessioned 2008-08-05T02:17:53Z
dc.date.accessioned 2022-10-26T05:27:00Z
dc.date.available 2008-08-05T02:17:53Z
dc.date.available 2022-10-26T05:27:00Z
dc.date.copyright 2003
dc.date.issued 2003
dc.identifier.uri https://ir.wgtn.ac.nz/handle/123456789/24427
dc.description.abstract This study examines the geomorphic long-term and long-range implications of large landslides within alpine valley trains of South Westland and Fiordland, New Zealand. A regional-scale reconnaissance suggests that slope instability has forced reach-scale adjustments to landslide-induced river disruption such as obliteration and burial of alpine valley floors, stream blockage, occlusion, and excessive lateral sediment input. The preservation of numerous large and prehistoric deposits from deep-seated failures in bedrock is seemingly at odds with extremely high rates of erosion and local rock mass strength in alpine landscapes dominated by excessive precipitation and neotectonic activity. The geomorphic implication of these large-scale mass movements is significant in that it attests their role not only in representing important sources of sediment, but also scale-dependent controls on alpine sediment flux. It is argued that, apart from being dominant controls on alpine landscape denudation by total affected area, the temporal up- and downstream scaling effects of large landslides may modify or control catchment response on time-scales ranging from 10 1 to at least 10 4 years. Investigation of geomorphic landslide impact signals on these scales thus bridges a significant gap between process-dominated local case studies and coupled uplift/erosion models in long-term mountain belt evolution. Geomorphometric analysis of landslide dams and related phenomena underlines the multivariate character of processes and landforms related to the coupling of landslides and mountain river channels. Using a simplistic approach, several quantitative indices as well as modelling based on digital elevation data are presented as a preliminary means to objectively rank and potentially predict the magnitude and stability of landslide dams. In terms of assessing the geomorphic hazard and risk from landslide-induced river disruption, the varying degrees of data constraints strongly necessitate the integration of quantitative analysis with site-specific field investigations and qualitative observations. en_NZ
dc.language en_NZ
dc.language.iso en_NZ
dc.publisher Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington en_NZ
dc.subject Geology en_NZ
dc.subject New Zealand en_NZ
dc.subject Geomorphology en_NZ
dc.subject Landforms en_NZ
dc.subject Landslide dams en_NZ
dc.subject Fiordland en_NZ
dc.subject Westland en_NZ
dc.subject Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana. en_NZ
dc.subject Mountain ecology en_NZ
dc.title Landslide-Induced River Disruption : Geomorphic Imprints and Scaling Effects in Alpine Catchments of South Westland and Fiordland, New Zealand en_NZ
dc.type Text en_NZ
vuwschema.type.vuw Awarded Doctoral Thesis en_NZ
thesis.degree.discipline Physical Geography en_NZ
thesis.degree.grantor Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington en_NZ
thesis.degree.level Doctoral en_NZ
thesis.degree.name Doctor of Philosophy en_NZ


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