hydropower potential; abrasive capacity of glaciers; periglacial environment; glacier runoff; sediment production; sediment yield; glacier retreat; sediment management; reservoir sedimentation
Ehrbar Daniel, Schmocker Lukas, Vetsch David, Boes Robert (2018), Hydropower Potential in the Periglacial Environment of Switzerland under Climate Change, in
Sustainability, 10(8), 2794-2794.
Delaney Ian, Bauder Andreas, Huss Matthias, Weidmann Yvo (2018), Proglacial erosion rates and processes in a glacierized catchment in the Swiss AlpsPROGLACIAL EROSION IN THE SWISS ALPS, in
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 43(4), 765-778.
Ehrbar Daniel, Schmocker Lukas, Vetsch David F., Boes Robert M., Doering Michael (2017), Measuring suspended sediments in periglacial reservoirs using water samples, laser in-situ scattering and transmissometry and acoustic Doppler current profiler, in
International Journal of River Basin Management, 15(4), 413-431.
Ehrbar Daniel, Schmocker Lukas, Vetsch David F., Boes Robert M., Doering Michael (2016), Measuring sediment fluxes in periglacial reservoirs using water samples, LISST and ADCP, in
International Symposium on River Sedimentation, StuttgartUniversity of Stuttgart, Stuttgart.
Ehrbar Daniel, Schmocker Lukas, Vetsch David F., Boes Robert M., Döring Michael (2016), Messung von Sedimentflüssen in periglazialen Stauseen mit Wasserproben, LISST und ADCP, in
18. Wasserbau-Symposium, WallgauTechnische Universität München, München.
In Switzerland, the high alpine environment is still covered by 944 km² of ice. The expected glacier retreat in the coming decades due to atmospheric warming will offer new perspectives for the construction of alpine reservoirs and hydropower plants to harness the considerable energy potential of the periglacial catchments. However, the immediate proximity to the glacial high alpine environment of such infrastructures will pose challenges in terms of construction, operation and maintenance, since the temporal evolution of glaciers, runoff and sediment transport in the catchments, the resulting reservoir sedimentation and the protection against different natural hazards have to be considered.The goal of the proposed study is to systematically assess where the construction of new reservoirs and hydropower plants appears to be feasible in the periglacial environment, with a strong research focus on future runoff changes, retreat and abrasive capacity of glaciers, sediment production and transport, reservoir sedimentation and operation, and hydropower potential.To achieve these goals, the following activities are planned: After a systematic search for potential sites for new hydropower facilities in the periglacial regions, we plan methodological improvements to determine glacier bed topography, modelling the future evolution of glaciers, runoff and sediment production accounting for climate variability in WP1 (glaciology). In WP2 (hydraulic engineering and numerics) a numerical model will be developed, optimized and applied to systematically analyse the impacts of irregular runoff and high sediment yield on both existing and new hydropower schemes. In WP2 we will further focus on the analysis of sediment management at both high-head run-of-river and storage hydropower plants, and will conduct a systematic hydropower feasibility assessment taking into account hydrology and energy production, sedimentology and reservoir sedimentation.