Swiss scientists develop new method for measuring permafrost

Scientists in the Swiss city of Fribourg have developed a new method to measure permafrost using electrical resistance. This could improve our ability to predict rockfalls and landslides. Traditional methods involve drilling holes up to a hundred metres deep and measuring the ground temperature. However, this process is both complex and expensive, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) explained on Tuesday. +Sign up to get the most important news from Switzerland directly in your inbox “What’s more, we can only record temperatures at specific points and can’t infer anything about the volume of ice,” adds Christian Hauck from the University of Fribourg. With his team, he has helped develop a method for measuring permafrost over large areas and assessing the ice volume, which allows for predictions about future changes. Scientists pass a direct current through two electrodes in the soil and measure its electrical resistivity. The method is detailed in the journal Environmental ...