Monitoring Permafrost at Hoher Sonnblick, Hohe Tauern, Austria
Claudia Riedl, Sonnblick-Observatorium, ZAMG - Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics, Salzburg (AT)
The Sonnblick Observatory at the summit of Hoher Sonnblick is an outstanding research station established in 1886. The permafrost monitoring of the summit of Hoher Sonnblick was initially motivated because of the instability due to permafrost degradation that threatened local buildings and the associated stabilization work. The distribution of and changes in permafrost are under constant monitoring at the Sonnblick and on the adjacent hill slope Wintergasse. An extensive observation network for ground surface, shallow and deep borehole temperatures and geophysical measurements is established.