Possible debris flows in the mountain permafrost zone: Hohe Tauern national park.

The existence of permafrost and its degradation can have an important influence on the evolution of debris flows in high mountain areas. Areas have been selected by visual interpretation of remote sensing data, which show an interrelation between permafrost and debris flows. Their hazard potential has been estimated in relation to threat to humans and infrastructure. The investigation area comprises the Carinthian parts of the Hohe Tauern national park. Moreover the work should provide data for further research on permanent debris flowmonitoring in a highly sensitive ecosystem.