Brief communication: Combining borehole temperature, borehole piezometer and cross-borehole electrical resistivity tomography measurements to investigate changes in ice-rich mountain permafrost

Abstract

Abstract. A novel combination of borehole temperature, borehole piezometer and cross-borehole electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data are used to investigate changing ice-/water contents in the creeping ice-rich Schafberg rock glacier in the Eastern Swiss Alps. Instrumentation techniques and first results are presented. The rock glacier is close to its melting point and has locally heterogeneous stratigraphies, ice-/water contents and temperature regimes. The measurement techniques presented continuously monitor temporal and spatial phase changes to a depth of 12 m and should provide the basis for a better understanding of accelerating rock glacier kinematics and future water availability.

Best practices for using electrical resistivity tomography to investigate permafrost

“…Advances in instrumentation have enabled automated ERT (A‐ERT) data collection in permafrost environments. A‐ERT equipment has been installed at several sites to monitor permafrost change through time 68,93,135 . Developments include the use of fuel cells 73,136 or solar panels 93,135,137 for power, enabling frequent surveying.…”

“…A-ERT equipment has been installed at several sites to monitor permafrost change through time. 68,93,135 Developments include the use of fuel cells 73,136 or solar panels 93,135,137 for power, enabling frequent surveying. Data collected with these automated systems provide new insights about short-term events relating to precipitation, snowmelt, freezing and thawing, and other processes.…”