In: Cold Regions Science and Technology, 2017, vol. 141, no. Supplement C, p. 54–65
Data from 27 snow profiles taken in frozen rock walls at two sites in the Swiss Alps reveal that steep slopes have distinctive snowpack characteristics. Snow pits were dug in 50–65° slopes at elevations between 2900 and 3600masl on north- and south- facing slopes at Gemsstock and Jungfraujoch Sphinx in the winters 2012–2013 and 2013–2014. There were marked contrasts in snow...
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In: The Cryosphere, 2017, vol. 11, no. 1, p. 585–607
In this study we modelled the influence of the spatially and temporally heterogeneous snow cover on the surface energy balance and thus on rock temperatures in two rugged, steep rock walls on the Gemsstock ridge in the central Swiss Alps. The heterogeneous snow depth distribution in the rock walls was introduced to the distributed, process-based energy balance model Alpine3D with a...
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In: Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 2017, vol. 28, no. 1, p. 140–157
The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of snow on permafrost and rock stability at the Steintaelli (Swiss Alps). Snow depth distribution was observed using terrestrial laser scanning and time-lapse photography. The influence of snow on the rock thermal regime was investigated using near-surface rock temperature measurements, seismic refraction tomography and one-dimensional...
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In: Cold Regions Science and Technology, 2015, vol. 118, p. 64–75
Observations show that considerable amounts of snow can accumulate in steep, rough rock walls. The heterogeneously distributed snow cover significantly affects the surface energy balance and hence the thermal regime of the rock walls.To assess the small-scale variability of snow depth and rock temperatures in steep north and south facing rock walls, a spatially distributed multi-method approach...
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