ABSTRACT
This paper presents the results of a ten-year assessment of the rate of present-day solifluction movements in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Surface displacement rates measured with the aid of inclinometer tubes show a significant range (standard deviation 0.32 cm y−1), with an average value of 0.47 cm yr−1 recorded between 1980/1981 and 1990. Comparison with preliminary data collected between 1980/1981 and 1983 showed that short-term rates were biased by an average of 166%. As a result, it is concluded that inclinometer tubes have a 3- to 4-year stabilization period. These results demonstrate that solifluction is a moderately efficient geomorphic agency within the Canadian Rockies. The geomorphic effectiveness of this process is comparable to that of rockfalls and snow avalanches.
