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

在拟议的项目中，将利用重复的地球物理测量来评估山区多年冻土对气候变暖的敏感性。与热监测不同，对永久冻土演化的地球物理和热评估相结合的方法能够确定地面冰的退化或堆积。通过两种互补的地球物理方法的结合，将有可能量化地面冰的含量。将使用较短时间尺度上的极端大气强迫事件的高时间分辨率数据集，如2003年的酷热夏季，或2006年欧洲阿尔卑斯山温暖的7月和10月/11月的气温，来评估山区永久冻土对气候变化的敏感性。将调查典型的永久冻土地貌对极端天气期间干扰的响应。将使用地球物理、热和气象相结合的监测网，包括岩石冰川试验场、山顶山脊(面向N和S的陡坡)、岩石高原和距骨坡。考虑到瑞士阿尔卑斯山的地貌差异、不同的地理和气候区域以及不同的冰含量，采用了特定的地貌方法。

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.