GIS-based modelling of rockfall disposition using climatic parameters

In this master thesis, WUFI (heat and humidity instationary), a software developed by the Frauenhofer Institute for Building Physics to simulate the hygrothermal behavior of building components, performs rock moisture and temperature simulations on the rock surface in the Gesäuse National Park without direct measurements of the climatic parameters on the rock walls. For this purpose, the monthly mean values of the temperature and the monthly values of the precipitation GIS-based are interpolated and corrected using the gradient hourly values of climate stations. Other climate data required for the simulation are used by weather stations. Due to the lack of precipitation values from higher regions, it has not been possible to interpolate them, which is why INCA data is used by the ZAMG. Wind direction and speed are also obtained from INCA. Since, in addition to rock moisture and temperature simulations, the interpolation of precipitation and temperature are of great importance for this work, the interpolation method Kriging and Digital Terrain Models, without which such regionalisation would not be possible, are described in more detail. Depending on exposure, slope and altitude, 72 virtual measuring points are distributed across the high gate group and a climate file for each of these points is created for the simulation program. In addition to the climatic parameters, WUFI needs information about the rock parameters obtained from Schnepfleitner (2012). Also, the impact rain factor collected by Zinner (2014) for the Gesäuse is taken into account in the simulation. The results are consistent with those simulated using measured climatic parameters in previous studies: Northern rocks are moist than southern and south-exposed regions have the most frost changes. The risk of rockfall is weighed depending on two frost weathering theories. It was found that the ice lens theory has a greater potential for weathering than the classic frost change theory.