The influence of sub-seasonal to seasonal atmospheric temperature variability on alpine permafrost

• DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-egu24-15002
• Publication Date: 2024-03-09T02:09:04Z
• Authors: Dominik Büeler; Elizaveta Sharabo...; Maria Pyrina; Michael Lehning; Daniela I. V. Dom...
• Keywords: Seasonality

Alpine permafrost thawing due to climate warming has been rapidly intensifying in the past decades. Since stabilizes rock, its and will become a growing risk for mountainous countries like Switzerland, with potential implications rockfall magnitude frequency, mountain infrastructure, ecosystems, tourism. The long-term trend thickening of active layer thus subsidence table Swiss Alps is well observed documented. However, less known about how sub-seasonal seasonal variability atmospheric temperature, particular individual multi-weekly heatwaves summer, influence below-ground temperature from year year. In this interdisciplinary study, we explore on timescales days seasons affects depth table, measured at various rock borehole stations Permafrost Monitoring Network PERMOS. addition, evaluate snowpack ground surface model SNOWPACK able reproduce relationship. insights analysis pave way couple weather prediction models, which are increasingly being used predict probability heatwave occurrence several weeks ahead. Such coupling could allow evolution significant anomalies an operational basis, thereby support early warning systems alpine hazards.