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Head: Dr. Marcia Phillips

Permanently frozen ground (so called permafrost) is widespread in the Alps above around 2500 m asl . Climate change can influence permafrost occurrence in several ways. The study of slope stability in ice-bearing permafrost features (e.g. rock glaciers, moraines) and of debris flows and rockfall in permafrost areas is becoming increasingly relevant due to the growing use of mountain areas for human activities. We investigate the interactions between permafrost, mountain infrastructure and the snow cover.

Permafrost is one of the main topics of the CERC research centre.

Topics

Monitoring

Permafrost measurements have confirmed that the permafrost is getting warmer, which could lead to severe ice loss and slope movements.

Building on permafrost

We test new building methods on mountain permafrost and draw up practice-oriented recommendations.

Permafrost and natural hazards

If climate change causes glaciers to melt and permafrost to thaw, there may be an increase in natural hazards.

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Projects

Knowledge co-poduction for future mass movement risks in the Alps

This transdisciplinary project tests and evaluates such a knowledge co-creation process for dealing with regional mass movement risks in the Canton of Uri (Göschenertal) and Valais (Saastal) using a quasi-experimental approach.

ExtremeThaw

In this ambitious project, we study ecological effects of permafrost thaw in the Swiss Alps.

CCAMM II: Cascading Processes

The CCAMM cluster "Cascading Processes"develops knowledge and models that can be used to anticipate future cascading events. At "Spitze Stei", Kandersteg BE, we study the cascading processes: rock slope instability, debris flow, rock/snow avalanches and lake outburst floods.

Kleiner Piz Buin: experimental investigations

In July 2020, the SLF identified a highly fissured and deformed potential rockfall mass with an incipient crest near the summit of Kleiner Piz Buin.

Homogenization of snow data for robust snow climatology in the Alps (Hom4Snow)

There has been almost no effort so far to develop methods to adjust snow series, despite the sometimes obvious signal of an inhomogeneity. The project intends to serve as a best practice study for the state of the art homogenisation of snow series as the basis for proper time series analysis.

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Staff

Permafrost

Dr. Marcia Phillips	Groupleader
Dr. Alexander Bast	Scientific staff member
Dr. Mohsen Bazargan	Postdoc
Nicolo Gianelli	Master student
Dr. Robert Kenner	Scientific staff member
Matthias Lichtenegger	PhD student
Dr. Jeannette Nötzli	Scientific staff member
Dr. Samuel Weber	Scientific staff member