Abstract
This paper presents a geomorphological map of the Hérens valley in the Western Swiss Alps. With an area of 270 km2 and altitudes ranging from 470 to 4357 m a.s.l., this valley is one of the main secondary catchments of the Upper Rhône valley. The high differences in altitudes, combined with a varied geology, create an important geomorphic diversity. The main processes active in mountain areas, that is, glacial, periglacial, gravitational and fluvial processes, are well represented. The map was produced in ArcGIS using a specific legend developed at the University of Lausanne.
Highlights
Climatic evolution since the end of the last glaciation has resulted in a major impact on the activity of geomorphic processes in mountain areas
This paper presents a geomorphological map of the Herens valley in the Western Swiss Alps
The result is a strong diversity of landforms present in mountain areas like the Alps, both in terms of morphogenesis and morphodynamics
Summary
Climatic evolution since the end of the last glaciation has resulted in a major impact on the activity of geomorphic processes in mountain areas. No global overview on the geomorphic diversity of the valley exists To fill this gap, a map of the entire Herens valley (Main Map) was produced within the framework of a project aiming at studying the torrent activity of the catchment (Maillard, Theler, & Reynard, 2013a, 2013b). The Herens valley is a south – north catchment located on the orographic left side of the Rhone River (Swiss Alps) (Figure 1) It is 30 km in length, with an area of around 270 km and altitudes ranging between 470 and 4357 m a.s.l. This landscape contrasts strongly with the much steeper slopes and high rock walls located in the southern part of the valley (Figure 4) This sector belongs to the Dent Blanche nappe (Australpine unit) and is composed mainly of orthogneisses of the Arolla series (Arolla gneiss). The 08C isotherm is around 2600 m a.s.l
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