Quantitative assessment of permafrost degradation using coupled geophysical and thermal monitoring systems

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In the proposed project repeated geophysical measurements shall be used to evaluate the sensitivity of mountain permafrost to climate induced warming. In contrast to a thermal monitoring a combined approach of geophysical and thermal assessment of permafrost evolution enables the identification of ground ice degradation or aggradation. Quantification of ground ice content will be possible by the combination of two complementary geophysical methods. Sensitivity of mountain permafrost to climate change will be evaluated using high temporal resolution data sets from extreme atmospheric forcing events on shorter time scales such as the extraordinary hot summer 2003, or the warm July and October/November temperatures 2006 in the European Alps. The response of typical permafrost landforms to disturbance due to extreme weather periods will be investigated. A combined geophysical, thermal and meteorological monitoring network will be used including test sites at rockglaciers, a summit ridge (with N- and S-facing steep slopes), a rock plateau, and a talus slope. The landform specific approach accounts for geomorphological differences, different geographic and climatic regions in the Swiss Alps as well as for different ice contents.