Kurzbeschreibung
The LTER site Kaunertal reaches from the glaciated peak of the Weißseespitze (3600 m) to the Gepatschferner, the second-biggest Austrian glacier, down to the community of Kaunertal.
Ansprechperson
Andrea Fischer
Research Services
Information on advances and retreats of the glaciers are provided. Comprehensive data also exist on changes in the tree line and the distribution of permafrost and rock glaciers. Run-off and mass balance data on the glacier and detailed studies on the geomorphology of the glacier forefield and the role of biota for sediment mobilization complement the studies in the glaciated catchment area. In 2023 a project on butterfly monitoring started.
Methoden & Expertise zur Forschungsinfrastruktur
The Gepatschferner is one of the most thoroughly studied glaciers in Austria, with a chronology of advances and retreats that covers the Holocene.