A5026945397- Cryospheric studies and observations
- Landslides and related hazards
- Climate change and permafrost
- Winter Sports Injuries and Performance
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics
- Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
- Astro and Planetary Science
- Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Aeolian processes and effects
University of Fribourg
2021-2025
ETH Zurich
2021
Abstract Accurate knowledge of the ice thickness distribution and glacier bed topography is essential for predicting dynamic changes future developments downstream hydrology, which are impacting energy sector, tourism industry natural hazard management. Using AIR-ETH, a new helicopter-borne ground-penetrating radar (GPR) platform, we measured all large most medium-sized glaciers in Swiss Alps during years 2016–20. Most these had either never or only partially been surveyed before. With this...
Abstract Global warming has caused widespread surface lowering of mountain glaciers. By comparing two firn cores collected in 2018 and 2020 from Corbassière glacier Switzerland, we demonstrate how vulnerable these precious archives past environmental conditions have become. Within years, the soluble impurity records were destroyed by melting. The is now irrevocably lost as an archive for reconstructing major atmospheric aerosol components.
Abstract Glaciers are indicators of ongoing anthropogenic climate change 1 . Their melting leads to increased local geohazards 2 , and impacts marine 3 terrestrial 4,5 ecosystems, regional freshwater resources 6 both global water energy cycles 7,8 Together with the Greenland Antarctic ice sheets, glaciers essential drivers present 9,10 future 11–13 sea-level rise. Previous assessments glacier mass changes have been hampered by spatial temporal limitations heterogeneity existing data series...
Abstract. Reference glacier sites with systematic in situ monitoring provide crucial information to understand trends regional change. Throughout Central Asia, several have been established over the past 15 years, often restarting long-term time series interrupted after Soviet Union's collapse. The region also features widespread ice flow instabilities, including surge-type glaciers. Unstable dynamics usually observed within large-scale remote sensing studies, limited ground validation or...
Central Asia hosts a high density of surge‑type glaciers (locally known as pulsating), which exhibit heterogeneous surge characteristics and poorly understood driving mechanisms. Historical monitoring glacier dynamics in the region is scarce, particularly transitional area Hissar‑Alay (Pamir-Alay): there, few five surging are reported existing inventories since 1970s, only Abramov pulsation 1972 was studied situ. However, prevalence pulsating postulated by Glazirin...
The existence of cold firn and ice within the European Alps provides an invaluable source paleoclimatic data with capability to reveal nature anthropogenic forcing in Western Europe over preceding centuries. Unfortunately, continued atmospheric warming has initiated thermal degradation that a temperate facie, where infiltrating meltwater compromises this vital archive. However, there is currently limited knowledge regarding physical transition between these different regimes.We present...
Abstract The marginal areas of the Greenland ice sheet develop streams and lakes each summer, documenting that surface runoff meltwater is a major component ice-sheet mass balance. Here we map slush limit, proxy for extent runoff, using daily MODIS data years 2000–2021. We an automated algorithm capable detecting limits, provided sufficient image quality. applied to sheet's western flank (61.7 $^{\circ }$ N 76.5 N). find significant increasing trends in maximum limits until year 2012, but...
Abstract. Our changing climate is expected to affect ice core records as cold firn progressively transitions a temperate state. Thus, there need improve our understanding and further develop quantitative process modeling, better predict evolution under range of scenarios. Here we present the application distributed, fully coupled energy balance model, simulate at high-alpine glaciated saddle Colle Gnifetti (Swiss–Italian Alps) over period 2003–2018. We force model with high-resolution,...
Abstract. Grigoriev ice cap, located in the Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan, has a rich history firn and core drilling starting as early 1962. Here we extend exceptional record describe an 18 m core, drilled February 2018 on summit at 4600 a.s.l. The been analyzed for stratigraphy, major ions, black carbon, water stable isotope ratios total β activity. We find that covers 46±3 years overlaps by 2 to 3 decades with legacy cores. A good agreement is found ion concentrations overlapping...
Abstract. Reference glacier sites with systematic in situ monitoring provide crucial information to understand trends regional change. Throughout Central Asia, several have been established over the past 15 years, often restarting long-term time series interrupted after Soviet Union collapse. The region also features widespread ice flow instabilities, including surge-type glaciers. Unstable dynamics usually observed within large-scale remote sensing studies, limited ground validation or...
The Koksu River valley is located in the Pamir‐Alay mountain range and contains 25 glaciers larger than 1 km 2 numerous smaller glaciers. largest glacier catchment Abramov Glacier with a current surface area of 22.55 (in 2022), which was extensively monitored between 1965 1999, resumed 2011. long detailed mass balance time series provide, among other information, benchmark climate variables for range. We report 10 new cosmogenic Be exposure dates glacial moraines directly deposited by to...
Abstract. The existence of cold firn within the European Alps provides an invaluable source paleo-climatic data with capability to reveal nature anthropogenic forcing in Western Europe over preceding centuries. Unfortunately, continued atmospheric warming has initiated thermal degradation that a temperate facie, where infiltrating meltwater compromises this vital archive. However, there is currently limited knowledge regarding physical transition between these different regimes. We present...
The study considers the results of numerical modeling mass balance Central Tuyuksu Glacier, located on northern slope Ile Alatau, Northern Tian Shan, using DMBSim model. A comparison was conducted between computed values both winter and annual balances measurements obtained during years 2006-2023. input data for included glacier accumulation, ablation, derived from stakes, as well snow surveys with pit measurements. Additionally, air temperature precipitation weather station total gauges...
In situ monitoring of glacier mass balance – through a network reference sites is essential to improve process understanding and detect changes, as well provide calibration validation for local large-scale modeling remote sensing studies. Still, the interpretation representativeness measured balances can be affected by unsteady flow dynamics, from minor pulsations extreme surges. Such events alter gradients apparent trends; englacial water storage associated with surges lead biases...
Abstract. Grigoriev Ice Cap, located in the Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan, has a rich history firn and ice core drilling starting as early 1962. Until now, time series ended with drilled 2007. Here we extend exceptional record describe an 18 m core, February 2018 on summit at 4600 a.s.l. The been analyzed for stratigraphy, major ions, black carbon, water stable isotope ratios total β-activity. We find that covers 46±3 years overlaps by two to three decades legacy cores. A good agreement...
<div> <div>Numerous models to project the future evolution of mountain glaciers in response ongoing climate change are available, both at local and global scale. However, a suite partly major simplifications is necessary these given restrictions data availability. Whereas most account for primary feedbacks, such as snow-ice albedo feedback dynamic glacier some way, considerable number yet poorly understood or less investigated feedbacks present that might...
<p>Streams and lakes develop each summer over the marginal regions of Greenland ice sheet. These hydrological systems reach well into accumulation area indicate that surface runoff meltwater is an important component mass balance Here we map slush limit, a proxy for extent runoff, using daily MODIS data (500 m spatial resolution) 22 melt seasons from 2000 to 2021. We automated algorithm capable detecting limits, provided sufficient image quality. The applied Greenland's west...
<p>High-alpine glacier ice cores are useful natural archives and allow access to continuous pollution records back the pre-industrial era. This is especially true for drilled in European Alps, which located close anthropogenic emission sources. However, due global warming glaciers increasingly affected by melting, subsequently altering information stored archive.<br>Here we show comparison between major ion from shallow on Grand Combin (4123 m a.s.l., Swiss Alps)...
<p>Cold firn is progressively transitioning to a temperate state under changing climate. This process expected affect ice core records and the mass balance of cold polythermal glaciers. Thus there need gain better understanding this transition develop quantitative, physical models, predict evolution range climate scenarios.</p><p>Here we present application distributed, fully coupled energy sub-surface model, simulate high-alpine at Colle Gnifetti...