Prof. Dr. Konrad Steffen
Current Positions
- Director, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL
- Professor, Inst. Atmosphere & Climate, ETH-Zürich
- Professor, Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, EPF-Lausanne
Past Positions
- Director, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado (CU) (2005-2012)
- Professor Emeritus of Geography, University of Colorado Boulder, USA (1997-2012)
Research Interests
My general interest is the study of processes related to climate and cryosphere interaction in polar and alpine regions based on in-situ and satellite measurements, and using climate system modeling to study their sensitivity. In particular I study and evaluate sea level changes and sensitivity studies of large ice sheets using in situ and modeling results.
The Earth’s poles are fundamental to the planet's climate balance, and learning more about how they work through research is crucial. Every May, I travel to Western Greenland to the Swiss Camp, where our team has been collecting data on snow cover, ice and the atmosphere with various instruments since 1990.
Committee and Editorial Memberships
| 2010-present | Scientific Advisory Board, Alfred Wegner Institute for Polar and Marin Research |
| 2012-present | GCOS Observation Panel for Climate (TOPC) chair |
| 2012-present | World Climate Research Program, Data Panel member |
| 2013-present | Member, Swiss Committee on Polar and High Altitude Research |
| 2014-present | Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Delegate for Switzerland |
| 2014-present | Member ESA Climate Change Advisory Board |
| 2014-present | Scientific Advisory Board Agroscope |
| 2015-present | Member of Advising Board Swedish Polar Research Secretariat |
International Organizations Membership
- International Glaciological Society, Cambridge, England
- American Geophysical Union
- American Meteorological Society