The fabric of the sturzstrom of Flims (Swiss Alps): Characteristics and implications on the transport mechanisms

The Flims sturzstrom deposit (Swiss Alps) is the largest in the Alps (12 km (3), H/L = 0.13). It consists of stratified breccias that display planar di scontinuities that originated during transport. Major sliding surfaces are underlined by frictional gouge. Between these surfaces, the material is fra gmented with rotated fault blocks bordered by oblique fractures that show t he transport directions. The transport mechanisms of the debris avalanche w ere dominated by layer-parallel slip movements that favoured the nonturbule nt behaviour of the granular material and the reduction of internal frictio n. ((C) Academie des sciences/Elsevier, Paris.).