News

A WSL research programme is examining the impact of climate change on rock slope failures, avalanches and debris flows and developing responses.

Floods, landslides and debris flows caused some CHF 85 million of damage and resulted in five fatalities in 2019.

New centre to explore climate change and natural hazards in the Alpine region.

Wood can be building material, CO2 storage and even a force of nature. The latest issue of Diagonal is dedicated to this renewable resource.

Leg 3 of MOSAiC takes 3 months longer than planned. The WSL remote sensing installation threatened by ice crack finally allows good data collection.

SLF researchers have examined the formation of 'microquakes' in snow, which could also play a role in avalanche formation.

To mark Biodiversity Day (22 May), a WSL and an Eawag researcher tell us why it is important to look beyond the system boundaries.

By measuring the snow water equivalent over a long period, the SLF is facilitating the detection of long-term changes in our climate system.

Burnt beech forests provide less protection against natural hazards than intact woods. A new WSL Fact Sheet describes the fire and vegetation dynamics. [in german]

Light, landscape and people lift the spirits of SLF doctoral student Amy Macfarlane, who has to stay in the Arctic for a while longer. More on the blog.

Even the MOSAiC expedition has felt the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Another challenge is that the ice floe breaks into smaller pieces.

Which measure against avalanches or rockfall has the best cost-benefit ratio? The SLF has helped to develop calculation tools for this purpose.

Reportage in “The New Yorker” about avalanche research and protection in the US and Switzerland, with insight into the work of SLF researchers.

The avalanche bulletin continues to be published to support the security services.

Numerous projects in applied research and two "Forum for Knowledge": At WSL, 2019 was all about knowledge transfer.

The Summer School FORMON for PhD, postdocs and master students will take place in Davos from 23 to 29 August. Apply by May 1st.

The second leg of the MOSAiC expedition is drawing to a close: important measurements have been taken and the light is slowly returning. Read more in the blog.

How to stop an arctic fox from chewing on cables and why you are never alone on an expedition can be read in the new blog post.

Since October 2019, the research vessel “Polarstern” has been drifting through the Arctic ice. A video shows what is happening around the ship.

Description of the weather, snowpack and avalanche danger during the preceding year (October 2018 to September 2019). In German or French.