Université de Fribourg

Assessing the rock glacier kinematics on three different timescales: a case study from the southern Swiss Alps

Scapozza, Cristian ; Lambiel, Christophe ; Bozzini, Claudio ; Mari, Stefano ; Conedera, Marco

In: Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 2014, vol. 39, no. 15, p. 2056–2069

Surface temperature increases since the 1990s have often been associated with an increase in the speed of rock glaciers. Evidence of similar links on the centennial to millennial scale are, however, still lacking due to less focus to date on the medium- and long-term kinematics of these landforms. In order to assess (palaeo)climatic variations in rock glacier kinematics, we analysed the movements...

Université de Fribourg

Modeled sensitivity of two alpine permafrost sites to RCM-based climate scenarios

Scherler, Martin ; Hauck, Christian ; Hoelzle, Martin ; Salzmann, Nadine

In: Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 2013, vol. 18, no. 2, p. 780–794

Climate change as projected by contemporary general circulation models (GCMs) and regional climate models (RCMs) will have a great impact on high latitude and high mountain permafrost. A process-based one-dimensional permafrost model is used to evaluate the sensitivity of two characteristic alpine permafrost sites to changes in climate for a 110 year time period starting 1991 and ending 2100...

Université de Fribourg

Automated time-lapse ert for improved process analysis and monitoring of frozen ground

Hilbich, Christin ; Fuss, C. ; Hauck, Christian

In: Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 2011, vol. 22, no. 4, p. 306–319

A new automated electrical resistivity tomography (A-ERT) system is described that allows continuous measurements of the electrical resistivity distribution in high-mountain or polar terrain. The advantages of continuous resistivity monitoring, as opposed to single measurements at irregular time intervals, are illustrated using the permafrost monitoring station at the Schilthorn, Swiss Alps. Data...

Université de Fribourg

Meltwater infiltration into the frozen active layer at an alpine permafrost site

Scherler, Martin ; Hauck, Christian ; Hoelzle, Martin ; Stähli, Manfred ; Völksch, Ingo

In: Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 2011, vol. 21, no. 4, p. 325–334

A coupled heat and mass transfer model simulating mass and energy balance of the soil-snow-atmosphere boundary layer was applied to simulate ground temperatures, together with water and ice content evolution, in the active layer of an alpine permafrost site on Schilthorn, Swiss Alps. Abrupt shifts and subsequent fluctuations in ground temperature observed in alpine permafrost boreholes at the...