WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF

Research 12.11.2025
Water causes rock to shift on the Matterhorn
Water causes rock to shift on the Matterhorn

SLF research on the Matterhorn shows how meltwater in permafrost can lead to rock slope instability – a consequence of climate change.

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Rocky ridge with rugged rock formations, surrounded by cloud and with a mountain landscape in the background.
 
Research 06.11.2025
Climate change in the Alps: a potential threat
Climate change in the Alps: a potential threat

SLF researchers are investigating a wide range of climate change impacts in the Alps so that people there can prepare for them.

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Mountain landscape with several snow-capped peaks, clouds, rain, rivers, glaciers and small settlements in the valley.
 
Research 20.10.2025
In the red zone
In the red zone

New model reveals snow trends according to altitude for the whole of Switzerland for the first time.

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Research 30.09.2025
Plant laboratory 2,480 metres above sea level
Plant laboratory 2,480 metres above sea level

How the SLF is investigating the long-term effects of global warming on Alpine flora.

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Mountain landscape with multiple transparent plastic structures on the ground. Three people stand in the centre right of the photo, surrounded by mountains and clouds.
 

Research for people and the environment in a changing world

NEWS

Services and products
07.11.2025

White Risk is Switzerland's best app

The Best of Swiss Apps jury has named White Risk, the SLF app for avalanche prevention, Master of Swiss Apps.

Services and products
03.11.2025
Diagram shows different tree species in a three-dimensional grid with labels for growth, competition, reproduction, seed production, seed dispersal and mortality.

Top models and hard facts: calculating the world

Forests, rockfalls and insects: researchers at WSL and SLF are modelling nature. How, why and for whom explains the new DIAGONAL.

Research
08.10.2025
Person wearing a colourful knitted hat and yellow scarf sits with medical cables and sensors, surrounded by several people in a tent.

Under the avalanche: survive five times longer

A pump in the backpack supplies buried victims with breathing air – giving rescuers up to five times more time for the rescue.

Research
01.10.2025
Three people stand on the shore of a meltwater lake in front of tall, layered glacier walls with a dark cave in the center under a blue sky.

And Swiss glaciers continue to melt

The ice mass has decreased by a quarter over the last ten years, as shown by observations from the GLAMOS measurement network.

Institutional
25.09.2025

Failures of snow – and of avalanche research

A talk by SLF head Jürg Schweizer looks back on over 30 years of avalanche research.

Logbook
18.09.2025

The last few weeks on the ice – and back home

Three SLF employees are spending two months on the research vessel Polarstern to collect snow data in the Arctic ice. Part 3.

All news

AvaBlog

Our experts analyze the avalanche situation.
5 November 2025

current AvaBlog (in German)
current AvaBlog (in French)