Sediment transfer system in a deglaciating alpine catchment – insights from the Habach valley, Austria
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study presents the first geomorphological map of the Habach Valley (Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria) at a scale of 1:25,000. Geomorphological mapping was conducted through field surveys combined with interpretation of a 1 m ALS-derived DEM, multi-temporal orthophotos, glacier inventories, and geological maps. Landforms, surface materials, process domains, and hydrological features were mapped and integrated into a qualitative sediment-transfer model. Surface denudation and gravitational processes dominate in the catchment, whereas glacial, cryogenic-gravitational, fluvial and fluvio-gravitational processes are spatially restricted. Large sediment storages are concentrated in talus slopes, debris cones, alluvial deposits, and moraine remnants. Sediment transfer from slopes to the valley floor occurs primarily through debris-flow channels and gullies in schist-dominated areas. The results provide the basis for future studies of sediment availability and landscape response to ongoing climatic change.
Source: Journal of Maps
Authors: Sabine Dietel, Jörg Robl, Jan-Christoph Otto
Institution: University of Salzburg
Language: English
Subfield: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $778
OpenAlex ID: W7203919005