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Rock avalanches of the Ardon River valley at the southern foot of the Rocky Range, Northern Caucasus, North Osetia

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Abstract

Deposits of very large rock avalanches were identified at the southern foot of the Rocky Range of the Northern Caucasus. Cliffs facing the Ardon River are 1–1.5 km high and composed of Cretaceous and upper Jurassic, hard, crystaline limestone, underlain by softer, middle Jurassic shale, siltstone and sandstone flysh. The largest rock avalanche, at Karivhoh, is ~2×109 m3 in volume, travelled more than 7 km, and covered about 18 km2 with deposits up to 200–300 m thick. All rock-avalanche bodies are composed of intensively crushed debris overlain by a blocky carapace. Numerous subsequent landslides develop within these deposits, and pose a threat to villages built on them.

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Acknowledgments

Fieldwork in the Ardon River valley was carried out in 2002 when the author worked in the Hydroproject Institute, Geodynamic Research Center. Further analysis of field data was supported by the Program of the Fundamental Researches of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences No 13 “Induced seismicity; triggered natural and man-made catastrophic processes”. I also wish to express my gratitude to Mauri McSaveney for the thorough review of the article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of the Geospheres Dynamics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskiy Avenue 38, Building 1, 119334, Moscow, Russia

    A. L. Strom

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  1. A. L. Strom
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Correspondence to A. L. Strom.

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Strom, A.L. Rock avalanches of the Ardon River valley at the southern foot of the Rocky Range, Northern Caucasus, North Osetia. Landslides 1, 237–241 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-004-0024-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-004-0024-2

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