New findings concerning "hypothermia" in taluses

As a follow-up to the seminal paper on "hypothermia" in taluses (WAKONIGG 1 996), new locations showing this phenomenon and the results of a series of temperature measurements are presented here. They underpin the theory on th e mechanism of "hypothermia" developing in the lower parts of the cone of a talus formulated in 1996: there temperatures are markedly below the annual mean of the air temperature in the surroundings. Cooling takes place mainl y in winter, with fresh cold air streaming in through openings in the lower part of the talus. When the snow melts on the surface, water seeps into th e talus and freezes again in this colder environment, thus making the air t emperature rise to zero degrees or only a little higher for as long as it t akes for all the ice to melt, i.e. for two to four months in the places obs erved. Only then the air temperature goes up to a few degrees above zero, w ith the highest value normally reached by the end of September.