Articles | Volume 19, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-485-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-485-2025
Research article
 | 
29 Jan 2025
Research article |  | 29 Jan 2025

Pressurised water flow in fractured permafrost rocks revealed by borehole temperature, electrical resistivity tomography, and piezometric pressure

Maike Offer, Samuel Weber, Michael Krautblatter, Ingo Hartmeyer, and Markus Keuschnig

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Cited articles

Archie, G. E.: The electrical resistivity log as an aid in determining some reservoir characteristics, Trans. AIME 146, 54–62, https://doi.org/10.2118/942054-G, 1942. a
Arenson, L. U., Harrington, J. S., Koenig, C. E. M., and Wainstein, P. A.: Mountain permafrost hydrology – A practical review following studies from the Andes, Geosciences, 12, 48, https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences12020048, 2022. a
Bast, A., Kenner, R., and Phillips, M.: Short-term cooling, drying, and deceleration of an ice-rich rock glacier, The Cryosphere, 18, 3141–3158, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3141-2024, 2024. a
Ben-Asher, M., Magnin, F., Westermann, S., Bock, J., Malet, E., Berthet, J., Ravanel, L., and Deline, P.: Estimating surface water availability in high mountain rock slopes using a numerical energy balance model, Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 899–915, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-899-2023, 2023. a
Buckel, J., Mudler, J., Gardeweg, R., Hauck, C., Hilbich, C., Frauenfelder, R., Kneisel, C., Buchelt, S., Blöthe, J. H., Hördt, A., and Bücker, M.: Identifying mountain permafrost degradation by repeating historical electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) measurements, The Cryosphere, 17, 2919–2940, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2919-2023, 2023. a
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Short summary
We present a unique long-term dataset of measurements of borehole temperature, repeated electrical resistivity tomography, and piezometric pressure to investigate the complex seasonal water flow in permafrost rockwalls. Our joint analysis shows that permafrost rocks are subjected to enhanced pressurised water flow during the thaw period, resulting in push-like warming events and long-lasting rock temperature regime changes.  
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