
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
Aaron, J.; Spielmann, R.; McArdell, B.W.; Graf, C., 2023: High‐frequency 3D LIDAR measurements of a debris flow: a novel method to investigate the dynamics of full‐scale events in the field. Geophysical Research Letters, 50, 5: e2022GL102373 (10 pp.). doi: 10.1029/2022GL102373
Liechti, K.; Badoux, A.; Röthlisberger, G.; Loat, R.; Bezzola, G.R., 2023: 50 Jahre Erfassung von Unwetterschäden. Forstzeitung, 134, 5: 14-15.
Paitz, P.; Lindner, N.; Edme, P.; Huguenin, P.; Hohl, M.; Sovilla, B.; Walter, F.; Fichtner, A., 2023: Phenomenology of avalanche recordings from distributed acoustic sensing. Journal of Geophysical Research F: Earth Surface, 128, 5: e2022JF007011 (18 pp.). doi: 10.1029/2022JF007011
Boutin, J.; Vergely, J.L.; Bonjean, F.; Perrot, X.; Zhou, Y.; Dinnat, E.P.; Lang, R.H.; Le Vine, D.M.; Sabia, R., 2023: New seawater dielectric constant parametrization and application to SMOS retrieved salinity. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 61: 2000813 (13 pp.). doi: 10.1109/TGRS.2023.3257923
Smith, H.E.J.; Monsalve, A.D.; Turowski, J.M.; Rickenmann, D.; Yager, E.M., 2023: Controls of local grain size distribution, bed structure and flow conditions on sediment mobility. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, doi: 10.1002/esp.5599
Showing only the newest 5 publications
Staff
Mountain Hydrology and Mass Movements
Head of Research Unit | |
temporary employee | |
PhD student guest | |
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Senior Scientist / Visiting Scientist | |
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Scientific staff member |
Torrents and Mass Movements
Groupleader | |
PhD student | |
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Technical staff member | |
PhD student guest | |
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Civil service employee | |
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Fellow | |
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Postdoc | |
Senior Scientist | |
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Scientific staff member | |
Visiting scientist | |
Senior Scientist |
Hydrological Forecasts
Groupleader | |
Research scientist | |
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PhD student guest | |
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Visiting scientist | |
Fellow | |
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Visiting scientist | |
PhD student |
Glaciology
Professor of glaciology | |
Master student | |
PhD student guest | |
Visiting scientist | |
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Scientific staff member | |
Visiting scientist | |
Scientific staff member | |
Professur für Glaziologie | |
Visiting scientist | |
Visiting scientist | |
Visiting scientist | |
Visiting scientist | |
Visiting scientist | |
Visiting scientist | |
Visiting scientist | |
Scientific staff member | |
Visiting scientist |
High Mountain Glaciers and Hydrology
Groupleader, Senior Scientist | |
Scientific staff member | |
PhD student | |
Visiting scientist | |
PhD student | |
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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 |
07.03.2023, 09:30-10:00 | Julien Farlin | On using nitrate isotopes for source apportionment in Luxemburgish headwater catchments: what works, what doesn't, and what could | LG E 05 / Zoom |
14.03.2023, 09:30-10:00 | Mauro Werder | Subglacial drainage: numerical, field and lab investigations | LG E 05 / Zoom |
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 |
16.05.2023, 18:30-20:30 | Christoph Ogier | The Crystal Ship: First ascent of Pumari Chhish East (Movie). Registration | Zürich Zentrum HG F 30 |
30.05.2023, 09:30-10:00 | Dorothea Hug Peter & Dieter Rickenmann | Surrogate bedload transport measurements: comparison of systems and uncertainty analysis | EP D1/ Zoom |
06.06.2023, 09:30-10:00 | Malgorzata Chmiel | Seismic constraints on rock damaging and mass movement monitoring of an active rock slope (Spitze Stei, Switzerland)”. | LG E 05 / Zoom |
20.06.2023, 09:30-10:00 | Maria Helena Ramos | To be announced | Englersaal |