This year’s annual research retreat of the M3OCCA international doctorate programme (IDP) took place in Erlangen. It was the last official research retreat within the first phase of the IDP. The doctoral students presented the current status of their research projects, and it was a pleasure to see the progress made over the last few years, as many of the doctoral students are nearing the completion of their projects. In addition, preparations for the second phase of the IDP were initiated and the next steps discussed.
Of course, we also took time for some social activities, including a scavenger hunt through the city of Erlangen and a quiz night.
Self-built fixed-wing UAV with a sonic anemometer (black device) and temperature & humidity sensors (inside beige pipe).
To investigate the boundary layer between glaciers and the atmosphere, the third Hintereisferner Experiment (HEFEX III) was conducted in August on glacier Hintereisferner in Austria. The campaign was organised within the frame of the Glacier Space Project from Humboldt-University Berlin (HUB) and University of Innsbruck (UIBK), with the main goal to measure vertical profiles of temperature, humidity, wind direction and speed synchronously along the glacier flow line. Along with participants from HUB, UIBK, University of Graz, University of Western Norway and University of Augsburg, the Team of the DFG-project ‘FlyHigh’ from FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg (picture above) was taking part with their fixed-wing UAVs (picture left side), equipped with a sonic anemometer for wind direction/speed, and another sensor for temperature and humidity measurements. To bridge the gap between the glacier and synoptic wind , the fixed-wings measured between 25 – 500 m above ground level.
DJI Mavic Pro carrying temperature & humidity sensors.
To ensure a continuous profile, a DJI Mavic Pro quadcopter (picture left side) equipped with temperatur and humidity sensors sounded the boundary layer between 0 – 120 m agl. Over the course of three days, this profile was measured every three hours. In the lower part of the glacier, a 10 m high tower was set up, with several instruments for continuous windspeed/direction, turbulence, gas temperature, and humidity measurements at different levels. In a preview of the results (below), you can see the processed air temperature and relative humidity from one afternoon flight.
Preliminary processed air temperature and relative humidity profile on 08.08.2025 at 2 p.m. from the fixed-wing UAV.
Of course the social life should not be neglected when camping on a glacier, so we met up with most of the other teams at the Hintereisferner hut in the evening to enjoy a three course dinner, prepped on only two gas hotplates. On Sunday we walked to our cars, trying to carry down as much equipment and material as possible.
In the end a very exciting data set was obtained, which, after processing and analysis, should provide valuable insights into boundary layer processes over a melting alpine glacier.
