In: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, 2014, vol. 1, no. 4, p. 413–426
Modeling of future water systems at the regional scale is a difficult task due to the complexity of current structures (multiple competing water uses, multiple actors, formal and informal rules) both temporally and spatially. Representing this complexity in the modeling process is a challenge that can be addressed by an interdisciplinary and holistic approach. The assessment of the water system...
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In: Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 2013, vol. 17, no. 8, p. 3261–3277
Glaciers all over the world are expected to continue to retreat due to the global warming throughout the 21st century. Consequently, future seasonal water availability might become scarce once glacier areas have declined below a certain threshold affecting future water management strategies. Particular attention should be paid to glaciers located in a karstic environment, as parts of the...
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In: The Cryosphere, 2013, vol. 7, no. 3, p. 877–887
The geodetic method is widely used for assessing changes in the mass balance of mountain glaciers. However, comparison of repeated digital elevation models only provides a glacier volume change that must be converted to a change in mass using a density assumption or model. This study investigates the use of a constant factor for the volume-to-mass conversion based on a firn compaction model...
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In: Journal of Glaciology, 2012, vol. 58, no. 209, p. 513-528
The tongue of Triftgletscher, Switzerland, is particularly susceptible to major break-off events due to its steep slope. In order to detect precursors of such an event, we monitored the local seismic activity and detected 2426 icequakes with sources located in an area ranging between 2050 and 2350 m a.s.l. Events triggered by cracks and icefalls were recorded, but no precise distinction between...
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In: Journal of Geophysical Research, 2012, vol. 117, p. F04010
A new physically based approach for calculating glacier ice thickness distribution and volume is presented and applied to all glaciers and ice caps worldwide. Combining glacier outlines of the globally complete Randolph Glacier Inventory with terrain elevation models (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission/Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer), we use a simple dynamic model to...
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In: Journal of Glaciology, 2012, vol. 58, no. 208, p. -
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In: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 2010, vol. 14, no. 5, p. 815-829
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In: Geophysical Research Letters, 2010, vol. 37, p. L10501
Thirty new 100-year records of glacier surface mass balance, accumulation and melt in the Swiss Alps are presented. The time series are based on a comprehensive set of field data and distributed modeling and provide insights into the glacier-climate linkage. Considerable mass loss over the 20th century is evident for all glaciers, but rates differ strongly. Glacier mass loss shows multidecadal...
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In: Hydrological Processes, 2010, p. -
The spatial and temporal distribution of snow accumulation is complex and significantly influences the hydrological characteristics of mountain catchments. Many snow redistribution processes, such as avalanching, slushflow or wind drift, are controlled by topography, but their modelling remains challenging. In situ measurements of snow accumulation are laborious and generally have a coarse...
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In: Geophysical Research Letters, 2009, vol. 36, p. L23501
A 94-year time series of annual glacier melt at four high elevation sites in the European Alps is used to investigate the effect of global dimming and brightening of solar radiation on glacier mass balance. Snow and ice melt was stronger in the 1940s than in recent years, in spite of significantly higher air temperatures in the present decade. An inner Alpine radiation record shows that in the...
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