Climate change has intensified the occurrence of rock-ice avalanches, heightening risks to communities and infrastructure in alpine regions. However, their abrupt onset and remote locations have limited investigations into their initiation mechanisms. This study addresses that gap through centrifuge experiments based on two major events: the 2000 Yigong landslide in China and the 2021 Chamoli rock-ice avalanche in India. These models represent distinct rock wedge failure types and allow comparative analysis of freeze-thaw cycles and glacier-rock interactions. Results reveal that frost heave and pore water pressure fluctuate parabolically with temperature during freeze-thaw cycles, contributing to significant displacement and stress changes prior to failure. The presence of overlying ice and meltwater infiltration accelerates initiation by weakening rock-ice bonding and altering hydraulic conditions along discontinuities. These findings provide new experimental evidence on the mechanics of rock-ice avalanche initiation and offer insights for early warning systems and risk mitigation in cold, high-relief environments.
