SIRWOLTE

 

Event description

 

During heavy precipitation and simultaneous with the extreme flood event in the nearby town of Brig, the outburst of a moraine-dammed proglacial lake at Sirvolten caused the formation of a 10 to 20 m deep breach. Numerous debris flow pulses in the meltwater stream (Ritzibach) reached the torrent in the main valley of Simplon Pass (Chrummbach), the increased sediment load of which caused considerable damage on the Simplon highway further downvalley.

 

Damage

��������

The increased sediment load of which caused considerable damage on the Simplon highway further downvalley.

 

Data source

 

IAHS (ICSI) � UNEP � UNESCO (1998): Fluctuations of glaciers 1990�1995, Vol. VII (Haeberli, W., Hoelzle, M., Suter, S., Frauenfelder, R.). World Glacier Monitoring Service, University of Zurich, Z�rich. glaciology.ethz.ch/inventar/download/sirvolte.pdf

 

Remarks