"In Austria, around 1,600 to 2,000 square kilometres are currently affected by permafrost", explains workshop leader Dr Andreas Kellerer-Pirklbauer from the Institute of Geography and Spatial Research at the University of Graz. However, the area potentially at risk from these regions is considerably larger: "Rock avalanches, rockfalls and debris flows from permafrost areas can drastically reduce the safety of mountain huts, hiking trails and roads", the expert explains. Monitoring this hazard is problematic, as there is currently no institutionalised observation network in Austria. The longest continuous measurement series is operated by the University of Graz in the Seckauer Tauern. According to the researchers, a clear warming trend in the permafrost is evident there.
permAT Workshop (2015)
Nine different keynotes provided an overview of the issues and the tools needed for the second day of the workshop, which covered stakeholder groups and products, monitoring areas, methods and relevant parameters, synergies and funding. International input was provided, among others, by Swiss colleagues who have been successfully running such a monitoring network for years. The results of the workshop will feed into a document outlining strategies for establishing a long-term, representative and funded monitoring network for observing permafrost and periglacial mass movements, such as rockfall. "In doing so, alongside the natural science component, particular consideration should of course be given to the aspect of natural hazard prevention and climate change adaptation", explains Andreas Kellerer-Pirklbauer.
You can find the full report from the University of Graz magazine on the workshop here.