DeepDrought examines how deep root water uptake helps plants mitigate drought, especially as deep soil droughts increase with climate change. Using SVAT models, the project analyzes deep soil water availability and aligns TWD and WUE as drought stress measures to assess plant responses.
and external scientific reporting, management processes and tools, indicators/key figures WSL, forecasting science, project office, research funding Environment and Safety Environmental management, occupational
use of glacier water for hydropower in Switzerland. To this end he produces mid- to long-term forecasts of ice reserves and thus water availability for periods spanning one month to several years.
In
Research WSL have now closely examined both studies using new data. They have concluded that the gloomy forecast will probably come true.The future of beech trees in Europe looks bleak. Climate change will hit [...] permitted. WSL researchers took a close look at two older studies on the future of beech. The gloomy forecast of one of them will probably come true.
production - and if the trend continues, ecological tipping points could be reached. Current forecasting models have so far ignored important causes of the rise in temperature and should be improved. [...] most likely increase in the future," according to van Hamel. There is a growing need for accurate forecasts. She therefore recommends improving the existing models by taking into account other factors in
the context of the energy transition. Competence is available on the optimization of hydrological forecasts for improved management of flood events. To this end, the research unit collaborates with other [...] Flooding causes a huge amount of damage in Switzerland. We have been laying the foundations for flood forecasting and warnings for over 100 years. Debris flows and bedload Mountain torrents on steep terrain can [...] Visiting scientist Jane Walden Visiting scientist Mauro Werder Scientific staff member Hydrological Forecasts Massimiliano Zappa Groupleader Luzi Bernhard Computational Scientist Konrad Bogner Scientific staff
Glacier mass change has crucial impacts on hydrology, sea level rise, and climate change. Geodetic and glaciological mass balance observations so far have insufficient resolution to capture processes occurring on small spatial and/or short temporal scales. However, a permanent Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) station adjacent to Hintereisferner (HEF, Ötztal Alps, Austria) provides daily Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), which allow closing spatiotemporal gaps in established glacier monitoring methods. An uncertainty assessment showed that smaller-scale processes, such as snow deposition and redistribution with a vertical spatial scale >0.10 m can be investigated with the TLS setup at HEF
Mountain Hydrology and Mass Movements Glaciology High Mountain Glaciers and Hydrology Hydrological Forecasts Torrents and Mass Movements Forest Health and Biotic Interactions Phytopathology Forest Entomology
water resource Hydropower plants and flood warning systems benefit from accurate snow hydrology forecasts made by our researchers at SLF in Davos. Energy potential in the Swiss Alps The Energy Change Impact
use of glacier water for hydropower in Switzerland. To this end he produces mid- to long-term forecasts of ice reserves and thus water availability for periods spanning one month to several years.
In
In this project, we are investigating the extent to which the spatial predictability of forest plant species and fungi can be improved by using high-resolution soil maps. In addition, we analyse how climate change affects the distribution of different species and what role soil plays in this.
levels are diminishing.
For Wednesday morning, 16 January 2019, danger level 3 (considerable) is forecast. The valid and applicable instructions of the government authorities and local safety organisations
identify the factors that lead to larger or more frequent fires. This enables accurate medium-term forecasts to be produced regarding the risk of forest fires in different areas. To predict future forest fires
in deep holes whether satellite data accurately show snowmelt to improve hydrological discharge forecasts.
This text was automatically translated.Francesca Carletti takes a hammer to the ground. She drives [...] in deep holes whether satellite data accurately show snowmelt to improve hydrological discharge forecasts.
When and where do avalanches release? Researchers and avalanche forecasters are always trying to answer this question. In the past, we had to look out the window to get an answer, and half the time we [...] volcanoes are also mountains and avalanches are very common in Iceland. As a matter of fact, avalanche forecasters in Iceland were among the first to use an infrasound avalanche detection system. Due to the high
from planning to the individual slope. It is all about recognising and evaluating the hazard, forecasting the consequences of an avalanche and thus assessing the risk, taking account of (effective) measures [...] buried under deep snow cover – have a decisive influence on the risk. They are often easier to forecast than the likelihood of an avalanche being triggered. However, this too is important, and is estimated
In this project, elements of regional landslide early warning are applied in a pilot early warning system in the Napf region, and their added value for such early warning systems is assessed.
the auroras during our field campaign in the arctic but the combination of an uneventful aurora forecast, and a bright full moon with already limited darkness gave us low expectations. On Monday April
well as forest fires makes forecasting generally difficult.
Thomas Wohlgemuth, head of the Forest Dynamics research unit at WSL and co-author of the study, thinks that forecasting based solely on weather
According to the Alpine Convention, water scarcity and related conflicts are becoming a worrying topic in many Alpine regions, depending on water from snowmelt and glaciers.
aspects of natural hazards, e.g. for forest management, agriculture and tourism Users’ dealing with forecast and warning tools Related Topics Risk management We provides data that allow for assessing natural
potential within formerly glacierized areas, for instance. We also analyse how improved meteorological forecasts can increase the short- and long-term glacier evolution, ultimately aiming at increasing the
like to discover why the two glaciers collapsed last year, since this could help to improve the forecasting of such events." When he returns to Beijing, Wentao Hu will be teaching his colleagues how
Daniele Silvestro (U. of Fribourg) will explain how coupling artificial intelligence with evolutionary models holds great promise for advancing our understanding of biodiversity and its evolution.
recently, I have started working on detecting treeline upward shift, attributing possible causes, and forecasting future consequences in terms of carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. Activities
yield and forest reserve research form the basis for a wide range of modelling, informatics and forecasting tools, which are also internationally respected and applied. We can model a wide range of scenarios
layers in the snowpack. The device is used, among other things, to assess stability in avalanche forecasting and for ski track characterisation in ski racing. The Snow Monitoring Competence Centre will also
Programme (UNDP) commissioned the SLF's Alpine Environment and Natural Hazards research unit to forecast debris-flow and avalanche hazards for Georgia. The aim of the six-month project, part-funded by
research group, part of the CERC. This is a vision that is not altogether easy to implement. Just forecasting where and when avalanches, rockfalls or debris flows will occur is a science in itself. If you
| News WSL | News SLFFor the first time in 20 years, the highest danger level was forecast in large parts of the Swiss Alps in January 2018. Despite 150 destructive avalanches occurring, [...] avalanche situation. For the first time since 1999, the highest danger level 5 (very high) was forecast for a 36-hour period. Even though January 2018 was far less extreme than February 1999, as regards
provide an important basis for assessing the impact of climate change in various fields. For example, forecasts of Switzerland's future water balance or changes in the frequency and severity of natural hazard
species diversity affected ecosystems. On the other hand, modelling ecosystem changes allows us to forecast the future development of species diversity. For our models, we use data measured in the field and
each year. "Some climbers are completely unaware of this hazard," explains SLF avalanche forecaster Frank Techel. To date, there has also been little research done into avalanche accidents in summer
groups as well. Their purpose is to address various topics, including best practice in avalanche forecasting. When the General Assembly next meets, in Norway in 2019, it will confer on the outcomes and next
summer 2019
The findings from a series of short analyses will contribute to improving drought forecasting and handling, thanks in particular to the further development of the pilot portal drought.ch.
Drought
previous two winters: a three-person bulletin team, bulletins issued at 5 p.m. as a 24-hour forecast, the first regional avalanche bulletins for certain areas at 8 a.m. to condense the information
geophilum strains, which can be used to efficiently support their host trees threatened by the forecasted increase in drought periods in many parts of the world.
Dr. Francis MartinUMR Interactions Arb
important to better understand the global water cycle and to improve the reliability of weather forecasts. To this end, the European Space Agency (ESA) is carrying out a long-term satellite mission called
the north
These vast quantities of fresh snow, accompanied by storm-force winds, prompted the forecasting of a "very high" avalanche danger (level 5) – the highest on the scale – in large parts
of weather and climate models. We find, for example, snowfall biases of up to 100% in operational forecast models AROME-Arctic and COSMO-1. Seasonally-frozen lakes are widely distributed at high latitudes
development of new tree diseases, drawing on the example of ash dieback; improving the accuracy of forecasts of forest growth and therefore the amount of biomass available (for energy production among other
more frequently than those affecting roads and villages", says Frank Techel, an avalanche forecaster at the SLF and co-author of the study. Moreover, many mountaineers and climbers are killed by lightning
This allows researchers to analyze which climate models are closest to reality and make long-term forecasts.The Greenland Ice Sheet is not only a relevant cooling element for the global climate, but it also
the links between climate change, microclimate and glacier retreat. They intend to use the data to forecast the impacts on plants, animals and people in the region.A late August evening on the Hintereisferner
