Melanie Stammler

PhD-Thesis: "Interannual and seasonal surface change in a glacial-periglacial (de)coupled landscape and its implications on local hydrology in the semi-arid catchment of the Agua Negra river, Argentina"

In my PhD project I aim on deciphering the spatiotemporal variability of interannual and seasonal surface changes in the permafrost environment of the Agua Negra river catchment and its implications for the surrounding hydrology. For surface change detection I focus on elevation data based on different remotely sensed products, supported and validated by fieldwork. Conceptionally, my PhD project bridges the temporal scale between seasonality and interannual surface changes, as well as the spatial scale between landform-focused UAV flights and catchment-wide, e.g. Pléiades based, analyses. Emphasis is laid on the need to study glacier-permafrost interactions to fully understand the hydrological significance of the landscape. The doctoral thesis is part of the DFG-funded project "Spatial occurrence and hydrological significance of Andean permafrost, Agua Negra, Argentina (HyPerm)".