GENETIC TYPES OF CATASTROPHIC AVALANCHE-LIKE FLOW AND DYNAMIC TYPES OF THE GLACIERS, WHICH ARE HAZARDOUS FOR THEIR MANIFESTATION

Abstract

According to the modern concepts, all of the avalanche flows are genetically similar and have exogenous slope-gravitational nature. Catastrophic events happened in recent years on the glaciers of the Central Caucasus and the adjacent areas of periglacial zone indicate, however, that this type of avalanche flows does not exhaust the diversity of their types existing in nature. One of the extremely dangerous catastrophic avalanche types is gas-dynamic one genet-ically associated with paroxysmal explosive directional gas dynamic surge of glaciers, for the first time determined by the author during the study of Kolka (Genaldon, Karmadon) disaster of 2002. In particular, Waskaran (Peru) catastrophic avalanche flows in 1962 and 1970, as well as Kolka (Genaldon) in 1902 and 1752, Devdorak (Kazbek) in 1832 and 1776, Ararat flows in 1840 and some others are referred to the same genetic type. The most important feature of such type of catastrophic avalanche flows is extremely high speed, often sub-horizontal (and even upward) movement of huge ice-rock masses over the air on a large part of the way.