Meteorological effects on seasonal displacements of the ?knes rockslide, western Norway

In the alpine topography along one of the long fjords with steep and high mountain sides in western Norway the large ?knes rockslide area is defined by a distinct back scarp rising from 800 to 1,000 m a.s.l. In 2004, an extensive monitoring program started, including establishment of a meteorological station above the upper tension crack, 900 m a.s.l. This paper evaluates the significance of meteorological conditions affecting the displacements recorded by five extensometers and two laser sensors in the tension crack from November 2004 to August 2008. Meteorological factors of importance for the recorded activity in the tension crack are found to be melt water in spring and large temperature fluctuations around the freezing point in spring, autumn, and early winter. The records show less acceleration phases in the measured distance across the tension crack in the second half of the analyzed period even though annual displacements are increasing, indicating that other processes, like disintegration of irregularities along unfilled joints and disintegration of intact rock bridges in the sliding plane have become more important.     

Mapping vulnerability to multiple stressors: climate change and globalization in India

There is growing recognition in the human dimensions research community that climate change impact studies must take into account the effects of other ongoing global changes. Yet there has been no systematic methodology to study climate change vulnerability in the context of multiple stressors. Using the example of Indian agriculture, this paper presents a methodology for investigating regional vulnerability to climate change in combination with other global stressors. This method, which relies on both vulnerability mapping and local-level case studies, may be used to assess differential vulnerability for any particular sector within a nation or region, and it can serve as a basis for targeting policy interventions.