%0 Journal Article
%T Influence of surface heterogeneity on observed borehole temperatures at a mountain permafrost site in the Upper Engadine, Swiss Alps
%A S. Schneider
%A M. Hoelzle
%A C. Hauck
%J The Cryosphere Discussions
%D 2011
%I Copernicus Publications
%R 10.5194/tcd-5-2629-2011
%X Compared to lowland (polar) regions, permafrost in high mountain areas occurs in a large variety of surface and subsurface material and texture. This work presents an eight-year (2002¨C2010) data set of borehole temperatures for five different (sub-) surface materials from a high alpine permafrost area, Murtel-Corvatsch, Switzerland. The influence of the material on the thermal regime was investigated by borehole temperature data, the TTOP-concept and the apparent thermal diffusivity (ATD). The results show that during the last eight years material specific temperature changes were more significant than for all boreholes consistent, climate-induced temperature trends. At coarse blocky, ice-rich sites no changes in active layer depth were observed, whereas the bedrock and the fine-grained sites appear to be highly sensitive to changes in the microclimate. The results confirm that the presence and growth of ice as well as a thermally driven air-circulation within the subsurface are the key factors for the occurence and preservation of alpine permafrost.
%U http://www.the-cryosphere-discuss.net/5/2629/2011/tcd-5-2629-2011.pdf