Quo vadis, Vernagtferner? Perspektiven für die zukünftige Forschung

摘要

Vernagtferner has been observed and surveyed on a scientific basis since more than 124 years. During this time period, both, the knowledge of the basic principles of the climatically controlled glacier evolution and the observation techniques have seen a considerable development. Today, a large number of geophysical and atmospheric parameters are monitored and collected. These data allow a detailed insight into the relationship between glaciers, mass balance and water balance. The ongoing studies at the Vernagtferner form a fundamental basis for the understanding of the essential processes. During the recent years the ice melt at Vernagtferner has reached a magnitude which has not been observed before, while new measurement techniques and new sensors enable the analysis of the glacier evolution on a new spatial scale and with high accuracy at the same time. The combination of continuing the local observations with the application of new observation methods for extended regions is an ideal prerequisite for a major step in the improvement of our knowledge in relation to the observed glacier mass loss on a global scale.