This was our third consecutive winter expedition to investigate temporal and spatial changes in the firn pack within the accumulation area of the Aletsch Glacier. We combined Ground‑Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys with three shallow firn cores to directly compare geophysical and glaciological observations. The resulting multi‑year dataset is unique for a European glacier, providing repeat radar measurements complemented by firn‑core analyses.
This year, we were joined by the Geophysics Research Group from the University of Tübingen, Prof. Reinhard Drews and Johannes Noll, whose experience with radar systems in Antarctica and Greenland was invaluable. Together, we collected Autonomous Phase‑Sensitive Radar (ApRES) data and tested the FMCW digital radar. We also deployed an ApRES system for continuous firn‑pack monitoring at the Ewigschneefeld.
The campaign was led by Akash Patil (M3OCCA PhD), together with Dr. Christoph Mayer and Dr. Astrid Lambrecht (BAdW Munich) and Dr. Thorsten Seehaus (Institute of Geography, FAU Erlangen). We gratefully acknowledge the support of HSFJG—especially Claudine Frieden, custodians Daniela Blissing, Erich Furrer, Sonja Stoeckli, Thomas Furter, and the Jungfraubahn team for ensuring smooth field operations.
Exciting times ahead for collaborative science.
Text & photos by Akash Patil.
This was our third consecutive winter expedition to investigate temporal and spatial changes in the firn pack within the accumulation area of the Aletsch Glacier. We combined Ground‑Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys with three shallow firn cores to directly compare geophysical and glaciological observations. The resulting multi‑year dataset is unique for a European glacier, providing repeat radar measurements complemented by firn‑core analyses.
This year, we were joined by the Geophysics Research Group from the University of Tübingen, Prof. Reinhard Drews and Johannes Noll, whose experience with radar systems in Antarctica and Greenland was invaluable. Together, we collected Autonomous Phase‑Sensitive Radar (ApRES) data and tested the FMCW digital radar. We also deployed an ApRES system for continuous firn‑pack monitoring at the Ewigschneefeld.
The campaign was led by Akash Patil (M3OCCA PhD), together with Dr. Christoph Mayer and Dr. Astrid Lambrecht (BAdW Munich) and Dr. Thorsten Seehaus (Institute of Geography, FAU Erlangen). We gratefully acknowledge the support of HSFJG—especially Claudine Frieden, custodians Daniela Blissing, Erich Furrer, Sonja Stoeckli, Thomas Furter, and the Jungfraubahn team for ensuring smooth field operations.
Exciting times ahead for collaborative science.
Text & photos by Akash Patil.