Permafrost Monitoring & Dynamics
Atmospheric, surface and subsurface processes are coupled in a complex way in mountain regions. In order to understand the interactions between atmosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere, observations (e.g. meteorological variables, soil moisture, subsurface temperature, soil porosity, snow and ice thickness etc) and model simulations have to be combined and jointly analysed.
We use a variety of models (meteorological, hydrological and soil physical) on different time scales and use monitoring networks (including our own permafrost, energy balance and soil moisture stations) for joint analysis and validation.
Our Projects:
Improved ice quantification at alpine permafrost sites
Development of low-cost and robust electrical resistivity tomography monitoring system for remote permafrost environments (PERM2ERT)
Completed Projects:
- Development of low-cost and robust electrical resistivity tomography monitoring system for remote permafrost environments (PERM2ERT) (2022-2023)
- Permafrost monitoring by reprocessing and repeating historical geophysical measurements (REP-ERT) (2019-2022)
- Quantifying ground ice content in the Central Andes (2015-2022)
- Improved ice quantification at alpine permafrost sites based on electrical and electromagnetic measurements of spectral induced polarization (SPICE) (2018-2021)
- Modelling of air circulation and energy fluxes of high Alpine permafrost sites (MODAIRCAP) (2017-2021)
- Reprocessing and repeating historical geophysical measurements (2015-2020)
- Soil moisture in mountainous terrain and its influence (SOMOMOUNT) (2013-2016)
- Influences of the snow cover on thermal and mechanical processes in steep permafrost Rockwalls (2012-2015)
- The Evolution of Mountain Permafrost in Switzerland (TEMPS) (2011-2015)