Spatio-temporal distribution of extreme rock-ice avalanches in the Cordillera Blanca (Peru)

The Cordillera Blanca, located in Peru between latitudes 8-10°S, is the most glacierized intertropical mountain range in the world, with peaks over 6,000 meters still carrying numerous glaciers today. Ongoing climate change has resulted in a 41.50% reduction in glacier extent from 1962 to 2020, increasing natural hazards such as icefall, glacial lake overflow flooding, and rock avalanches. These events mainly affect the highest reliefs, but can reach the low elevation valleys, where around 300,000 inhabitants are exposed. Since the 1950s, these hazards have caused tens of thousands of casualties, including two major disasters: rock-ice avalanches from the northern summit of Huascaran (6,757m) traveling over considerable distances and destroying populated areas such as Ranrahirca (1962) and Yungay (1970), resulting in approximately 7,000 casualties in total.

In this context, our objective is to construct a comprehensive "spatio-temporal" inventory of substantial rock-ice avalanches (volume > 10⁶ m³) within the Cordillera Blanca. Our aim is to enhance our understanding of their spatial distribution, temporal frequency, and magnitude while pinpointing potential triggering factors. Our specific focus involves investigating potential correlations between avalanche records and climatic oscillations spanning the past hundred thousand years. The primary area of interest is the Yungay site, situated directly downstream from Huascaran North, where successive debris avalanche (historical and paleo) have accumulated, forming debris cones that extend across several square kilometers. Preliminary field observations have identified numerous large boulders indicative of events surpassing the reported magnitude for historical avalanches and their associated deposits.

Employing a multi-method approach that integrates fieldwork, remote sensing, geochronology, and numerical modeling, we intend to assess rock-avalanche deposits and volumes. A preliminary field mission conducted in August 2023 in Yungay facilitated the mapping and sampling of approximately 30 boulders of pluri-decametric size for surface-exposure dating (in situ ¹⁰Be on quartz). Anticipating dating results by early 2024, one of the primary expected outcomes of this study is to achieve a comprehensive reconstruction of the geomorphic response of the high Cordillera Blanca during past climate oscillations. This understanding will contribute to better anticipating the future evolution of natural hazards within the context of ongoing global climate warming, glacial retreat, and accelerated permafrost degradation. Additionally, our objective is to characterize the triggering mechanisms for low-frequency (recurrence time >100 yr) high-magnitude (volume >10⁶ m³) events.