Brief communication: On the potential of dual-coil frequency-domain electromagnetic (FDEM) systems to  detect frozen layers in mountain permafrost environments

Pavoni, Mirko; Guglielmin, Mauro; Bast, Alexander; Ponti, Stefano; Forte, Emanuele; Carrera, Alberto; Peruzzo, Luca; Peracchi, Simone; Cassiani, Giorgio; Boaga, Jacopo

doi:10.5194/tc-20-5393-2026

Articles | Volume 20, issue 9

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-5393-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Special issue:

Emerging geophysical methods for permafrost investigations:...

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-5393-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 20, issue 9

Brief communication

|

21 Sep 2026

Brief communication |

| 21 Sep 2026

Brief communication: On the potential of dual-coil frequency-domain electromagnetic (FDEM) systems to detect frozen layers in mountain permafrost environments

Mirko Pavoni, Mauro Guglielmin, Alexander Bast, Stefano Ponti, Emanuele Forte, Alberto Carrera, Luca Peruzzo, Simone Peracchi, Giorgio Cassiani, and Jacopo Boaga

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-5393-2026-supplement

Data sets

Frequency Domain Electromagnetic (FDEM) datasets: Fluela Pass, Stelvio Pass, and Scorluzzo. Brief Communication EGUSPHERE-2026-1264 Mirko Pavoni https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22092969

Short summary

This study explores the potential of the frequency-domain electromagnetic (FDEM) method for investigating mountain permafrost environments such as rock glaciers. Although less accurate than electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), FDEM allows rapid measurements of subsurface electrical properties and requires much lower logistical effort, making it suitable for preliminary surveys in remote areas and for large-scale site characterization.