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Commission for Glaciology
Glaciological research is concerned with the development, forms, effects and distribution of ice on earth. As an interdisciplinary subject, glaciology primarily applies methods used in geodesy, geophysics, geography, geomorphology, geology, hydrology and climatology.
The work of the Commission is focused on the Vernagtferner in the Ötztal Alps, where a gauging station at 2640m has been maintained since 1973. This station is the highest gauging station in the Eastern Alps. In its catchment (80 percent of which is glaciated) the components of the glacier mass balance of the Vernagtferner are determined annually since 1964, and measurements of the water balance terms based on hydrological and meteorological registrations have been done since 1974. The data on the long-term development of the glacier is provided by ten mappings of the glacier which have been done since 1889. Using the geodetic method the Commission monitors another fourteen glaciers in the Eastern Alps. Thus, it creates an extensive data base covering more than one hundred years of record and provides the basis for various analyses and model validations in the field of glaciology, hydrology and climatology.
The research results are integrated into international programmes on glacier monitoring. Additionally, the Commission cooperates with other institutions in conducting research projects in the polar regions and Central Asia.
