Scientists warn that Hochvogel could suffer massive rock collapse
Researchers say the Hochvogel peak on the Germany-Austria border may soon shed up to 400,000 cubic metres of rock, threatening a major landslide.
The Hochvogel mountain, straddling Germany and Austria’s Tyrol region, is showing signs of an imminent large-scale rockfall. A crack that has existed since one outlet century has expanded from shoulder-width to several metres, and sensors installed since 2018 record shifts of up to five millimetres per one outlet—far faster than the Alps’ average movement of 1.8 mm per year. Researchers from the Technical University of Munich, led by Michael Krautblattler, warn that as much as 400,000 cubic metres of debris could detach, driven in part by intense rainfall, thunderstorms and snowmelt.
A new fissure on the south-west ridge, dubbed “Fissure 6,” is identified as the most active zone. While the Austrian approach to the summit stays closed, the German side remains accessible, though authorities may act if danger escalates. The team hopes the early-warning system will allow timely closures to protect hikers and nearby communities.
Why it matters
A potential megaslide could endanger lives, infrastructure and tourism in the Alpine region.
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