
Mountain Hydrology and Mass Movements
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Head: Dr. Manfred Stähli
The Mountain Hydrology and Mass Movements research unit studies hydrological, glaciological and natural hazard processes in predominantly mountainous, glacierized, and partially forested regions. Researchers assess damage and damage processes of frequent to rare, extreme natural events, as well as glacier dynamics and their impacts on water resources, landscape evolution and ecosystems, considering a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. In particular, they investigate the formation and propagation of flood flows, bedload transport, landslides and debris flows, and the occurrence of hydrological droughts. Both experiments and long-term measurements form the basis for the development and application of numerical models, prototype environmental sensors, and hazard assessment methods. The data collected are used for risk-based, sustainable management of natural hazards and water resources.
Current projects address pressing societal challenges, such as the early detection and warning of drought, debris-flow and landslide events, and the impacts of climate change on torrents, lake levels and hydrological extremes. Other projects concern the impact of regional and global glacier loss on downstream regions, ecosystems and water users, which is relevant for sustainable hydropower production 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 institutions of the ETH domain and national and international research institutions, as well as with government agencies, cantonal and municipal authorities, private sector companies, and NGOs. A significant contribution is made to (inter)national expert networks and to the further education of professionals in the domains of natural hazards and water resource management.

Research groups
FURTHER INFORMATION
Publications
Rounce, D.R.; Hock, R.; Maussion, F.; Hugonnet, R.; Kochtitzky, W.; Huss, M.; Berthier, E.; Brinkerhoff, D.; Compagno, L.; Copland, L.; Farinotti, D.; Menounos, B.; McNabb, R.W., 2023: Global glacier change in the 21st century: every increase in temperature matters. Science, 379, 6627: 78-83. doi: 10.1126/science.abo1324
Aaron, J., 2023: ORIN-3D - a new model for efficient simulation of landslide motion on a GPU using CUDA. Computers and Geotechnics, 153: 105078 (7 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.compgeo.2022.105078
Miles, K.E.; Hubbard, B.; Miles, E.S.; Quincey, D.J.; Rowan, A.V., 2022: Internal structure of a Himalayan debris-covered glacier revealed by borehole optical televiewing. Journal of Glaciology, doi: 10.1017/jog.2022.100
Heiser, M.; Schlögl, M.; Spangl, B.; Fuchs, S.; Rickenmann, D.; Zimmermann, M.; Scheidl, C., 2022: Repose time patterns of debris-flow events in alpine catchments. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, doi: 10.1002/esp.5533
Walter, F.; Hodel, E.; Mannerfelt, E.S.; Cook, K.; Dietze, M.; Estermann, L.; Wenner, M.; Farinotti, D.; Fengler, M.; Hammerschmidt, L.; Hänsli, F.; Hirschberg, J.; McArdell, B.; Molnar, P., 2022: Brief communication: an autonomous UAV for catchment-wide monitoring of a debris flow torrent. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 22, 12: 4011-4018. doi: 10.5194/nhess-22-4011-2022
Showing only the newest 5 publications
Staff
Mountain Hydrology and Mass Movements
Head of Research Unit | |
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temporary employee | |
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Torrents and Mass Movements
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Senior Scientist |
Hydrological Forecasts
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Glaciology
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Professur für Glaziologie | |
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High Mountain Glaciers and Hydrology
Groupleader, Senior Scientist | |
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Trainee | |
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Internal seminar
Datum/Date | Speaker | Titel/Title | Room nr. |
17.01.2023, 09:30-10:30 | - Thom Bogaard (TU Delft) - Ben Mirus (USGS) - Manfred Stähli (WSL) | - Setting up a LEWS in data scarce Rwanda: Examples of hydrometeorological landslide initiation thresholds | LG E 05 / Zoom |
31.01.2023, 09:30-10:00 | Yiwen Zhou | Microwave satellite remote sensing of environment – an exemplary study of vegetation dynamics | LG E 05 / Zoom |
14.02.2023, 09:30-10:00 | LG E 05 / Zoom | ||
28.02.2023, 09:30-10:00 | Raffaele Spielmann | Inferring hazard-related parameters of a debris flow at the Illgraben based on high-frequency 3D LiDAR point clouds | LG E 05 / Zoom |
07.02.2023, 09:30-10:00 | Julien Farlin | LG E 05 / Zoom | |
14.03.2023, 09:30-10:00 | Mauro Werder | LG E 05 / Zoom | |
28.03.2023, 10:30-11:30 | Daniela Thrän (UFZ, Germany) | WSL distinguished lecture: Potential contribution of biological resources to net zero: the bioeconomy approach | To be announced |
11.04.2023, 09:30-10:00 | Anna Lena Könz | Impacts of flow path water-saturation considerations for debris-flow erosion modelling at Illgraben, CH | LG E 05 / Zoom |
25.04.2023, 09:30-10:00 | Tobias Wechsler & Florian Lustenberger | - Does environmental flow really reduce hydropower production? - Swiss environmental flow regulations based on four hydropower plants. | LG E 05 / Zoom |