Mountain Hydrology and Mass Movements

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.

Topics

Key-assets of the research unit

Projects

Research Groups and Staff

Mountain Hydrology and Mass Movements

Manfred Stähli

Head of Research Unit

Bruno Fritschi

Temporary employee

Joschka Geissler

PhD student guest

Derek Anderson Houtz

Scientific staff member

Achille Pierre Jouberton

Visiting scientist

James Kirchner

Senior Scientist / Visiting Scientist

Tobias Alex Benjamin Krasser

Temporary employee

Evan Stewart Miles

Visiting scientist

Mike Schwank

Scientific staff member

Karl Steiner

Temporary employee

Veerle Jasmin Sterken

Visiting scientist

Yiwen Zhou

Scientific staff member

Glaciology

Daniel Farinotti

Group leader / Joint Professorship

Andreas Bauder

Visiting scientist

Janosch Philipp Beer

PhD student guest

Aaron Cremona

PhD student guest

Laura Gabriel

Visiting scientist

Elias Hodel

Visiting scientist

Huw Horgan

Scientific staff member

Matthias Huss

Visiting scientist

Mylène Jacquemart

Scientific staff member

Simon Jung

Visiting scientist

Raphael Moser

Visiting scientist

Christophe Ogier

Visiting scientist

Ilaria Santin

Visiting scientist

Ivan Utkin

Visiting scientist

Marijn van der Meer

Visiting scientist

Marit van Tiel

Visiting scientist

Lander Van Tricht

Visiting scientist

Jane Walden

Visiting scientist

Mauro Werder

Scientific staff member

Hydrological Forecasts

Massimiliano Zappa

Group leader

Luzi Bernhard

Computational Scientist

Konrad Bogner

Scientific staff member

Annie Yuan-Yuan Chang

Postdoc

Raoul Collenteur

Visiting scientist

Flurina Dobler

Temporary employee

Robyn Dawn Imboden

Master student

Käthi Liechti

Scientific staff member

Florian Lustenberger

Scientific staff member

Michael Margreth

PhD student

David Matter

Scientific assistant

Laurin This Nüesch

Master student

Ryan Sebastian Padrón Flasher

Scientific staff member

Tobias Wechsler

Scientific staff member

Torrents and Mass Movements

Alexandre Badoux

Group leader

Amanda Susanne Aaberg

PhD student

Jordan Balfour Aaron

Visiting scientist

Felix Blumenschein

Technical specialist

Stefan Boss

Technical staff member

Felix Bross

PhD student guest

Malgorzata Chmiel

Visiting scientist

Tobias Markus Christ

Master student

Clémence Dorthe

Master student

Christoph Graf

Technical staff member

Simon Grieder

Civilian service employees

Tobias Halter

PhD student

Jacob Hirschberg

Visiting scientist

Jiahui Kang

PhD student

Elena Leonarduzzi

Postdoc

Brian McArdell

Scientific staff member

Ana Nap

Visiting scientist

Patrick Paitz

Postdoc

Dieter Rickenmann

Visiting scientist

Christian Rickli

Scientific staff member

Isabella Schalko

Scientific staff member

Simone Speltoni

PhD student guest

Raffaele Spielmann

PhD student guest

Janneke Albertine van Ginkel

Visiting scientist

Albrecht Von Boetticher

Visiting scientist

Fabian Walter

Senior Scientist

Christoph Wetter

PhD student

Zhen Zhang

Postdoc