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mapping 15 glaciers in the Eastern Alps approximately every 10 years, the next planned to
be done in 2009. Volume changes are derived from the maps of these 15 glaciers in the
Eastern Alps, which include the five German glaciers: Nördlicher and Südlicher Schneef
erner, Höllentalferner, Watzmanngletscher and Blaueis. The longest mapping series starts in
1889 (Vernagtferner and Guslarferner), next (1892) come the two Schneeferner on the Zug-
spitzplatt, the shortest series is provided for Watzmanngletscher (since 1959).
Data are regularly submitted to World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS 18 ) and National
Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC 19 ), and analyses, results, and modelling approaches are
presented in national and international Journals such as Zeitschrift für Gletscherkunde (Inns
bruck), Journal of Glaciology, Annals of Glaciology (both: Cambridge), Geografiska Annaler
(Stockholm), Climate Status Report 2007 of DWD 20 .
In addition, Germany contributes to and supports individual measurement campaigns in the
Alps, in Central Asia, Greenland and Antarctica since many decades.
4.5 Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P)
Material of the lithosphere that is permanently at or below 0° C throughout the year is called
permafrost. At high altitudes in the Alps a large portion of permafrost is in steep bedrock, like
for example the Zugspitze Mountain, permafrost occurs in the rock fissures. In steep moun
tain flanks, global warming causes slow but deep-seated degradation or thawing. Conse
quences could be settlement, or rock fall. The Zugspitze Mountain was chosen as a repre
sentative location in the northern Alps for monitoring state and changes in bedrock perma
frost. In 2007 the mountaintop ridge was drilled through, commissioned by the Bavarian Envi
ronment Agency. Along a 44 m long borehole 25 temperature sensors were installed. These
will collect temperature data for at least the next 15 years (planned up to 2022). The results
contribute to a permafrost monitoring network for all of the Alps. This site is not included into
the GTN-P but data will contribute to an alpine wide EU-PermaNet-project 8 .
18 http://www.geo.unizh.ch/wgms/
19 http://nsidc.org/index.html
20 http://www.dwd.de
8 http://www.permanet-alpinespace.eu
