Exploring temperature changes on Alpine glaciers
To complement a global perspective of glacier temperatures and their sensitivity to climate, the TEMPEST project will involve dedicated field measurements on glaciers in Swiss Alps during the summer of 2022. Data collected from these campaigns will be made publically available [here].
Haut Glacier d’Arolla
Val d’Herens, Valais, CH
Haut Glacier d’Arolla is arguably one of the most studied glaciers in the Alps, being the host of many energy balance and hydrological research campaigns during the 90’s and early 2000’s. Included in its research portfolio is the study and development of new parameterisations related to air temperature1 during a 2010 campaign. Data collection for TEMPEST aims to revisit some newly developed hypotheses on this ever-shrinking ice mass.
Glacier d’Otemma
Bagnes, Valais, CH
Otemma Glacier is a medium-sized (16 km2) valley glacier in the Bagnes region of Valais, several hours hike beyond the Mauvoisin Dam. Fieldwork will be conducted alongside more continuous measurements of glacial sediments and pro-glacial morphodynamics by the AlpWISE research group at the University of Lausanne.
Glacier de Corbassière
Bagnes, Valais, CH
Corbassière Glacier extends North from the Grand Combin Massif of the Penine Alps in Valais. The glacier has an area of ~15.08 km2 and has been observed to be consistently losing mass since at least the 1980’s2. Fieldwork will make use of the hiking trails and local refuge to explore processes at the terminus of this glacier in relative comfort. 🙂
Cited Material
1Ayala, A., Pellicciotti, F., & Shea, J. (2015). Modeling 2m air temperatures over mountain glaciers: Exploring the influence of katabatic cooling and external warming. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 120, 1–19. doi:10.1002/2015JD023137.
2Huss, M., Dhulst, L., & Bauder, A. (2015). New long-term mass-balance series for the Swiss Alps. Journal of Glaciology, 61(227), 551-562. doi:10.3189/2015JoG15J015
TEMPEST 