The Formation of Landslides and Debris Flows in the Geysernaya River Valley in Kamchatka: Causes and Possibilities of Potential Activation

The interpretation of multi-temporal satellite images from 1964 to 2021 revealed that modern landslide processes are most active on the left side of the Geysernaya River valley, within the Geysernoe and Verkhnegeysernoe thermal fields. During this period, the proportion of exposed slope areas showing signs of dynamic processes increased by 11–17%. By 2021, this figure had risen to 30–40% of the total slope area. Large-scale debris flows associated with the collapse of significant parts of the left side of the valley have been observed three times in the last 40 years. Analyzing debris flow activity in the Geysernaya River basin revealed that debris flows predominantly form in the left tributaries of the river in its middle and lower reaches. In addition, the debris flows on the left side of the valley may be off-seasonal, as they are formed within the thermal fields under conditions of constant heating and outlets of gas-hydrotherms. We investigated the distribution of manifestations of endogenous processes (areas of thermal anomalies, modern uplift, faults and epicenters of local earthquakes) and areas of activation of exogenous processes (debris flows, rock mass movements, erosion and aggradation) in the valley. We identified the zone where catastrophic slope and debris flow processes could potentially occur. This zone is confined to the bottom of the Geysernaya River valley and the left side of the valley, as well as the Lavovyi Creek basin. Slope processes are activated by the transformation of bedrock into clay due to gas-hydrothermal impact, as well as slope wetting and heating. When planning the development of recreational facilities in the Kronotsky Reserve, the high risk of rockfalls, landslides and debris flows, most likely on the left side of the valley, should be considered. In order to ensure safe tourism, it is necessary to create a system for monitoring slope processes.

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