TEAMx (multi-scale transport and exchange processes in the atmosphere over mountains – programme and experiment) is an international research program that aims at improving our understanding of exchange processes over complex terrain and at evaluating and improving the representation of these processes in numerical weather and climate prediction models. As part of TEAMx, a one-year long field campaign, the TEAMx Observational Campaign (TOC), started in September 2024, with dedicated observations being conducted in four target areas aligned in an approximate north-south cross section through the European Alps. In addition to long-term monitoring during the TOC, shorter experiments with a high density of instrumentation target processes under different atmospheric conditions and at a range of spatial scales from turbulence to cross-Alpine transport during two extended observational periods.

The first of these two extended observational periods took place between January and February 2025, with experiments focusing on the Inn Valley, Austria, and the Wipp Valley, Italy. The measurements were designed to observe (i) the three-dimensional structure of the mountain boundary layer, including its turbulence characteristics; (ii) the mean and turbulent structure of katabatic winds over a steep snow-covered slope and its response to larger-scale flows; (iii) the three-dimensional structure of mountain waves; and (iv) the life cycle of low-level stratiform clouds forming in the valley atmosphere. To this purpose, measurements were conducted with a suite of instruments, including research aircraft, radiosoundings, remote-sensing wind and temperature profilers, tethered balloons, and a network of turbulence towers.

This presentation will give a brief overview of TEAMx and highlight some of the very first findings from the experiments conducted during the winter campaign.

How to cite: Lehner, M., Rotach, M. W., Stiperski, I., Pfister, L., Gohm, A., Brun, C., Vüllers, J., Cermak, J., Orr, A., Renfrew, I., Dacre, H. F., and Chemel, C.: The TEAMx Observational Campaign – First findings from the winter campaign, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-5859, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-5859, 2025.

The TEAMx programme is a coordinated international research programme focusing on improving our understanding of exchange processes in the atmosphere over mountains and evaluating their representation in numerical weather prediction (NWP) and climate models. TEAMx features several observational and modelling strategies conducted by nationally funded projects centred on the European Alps, including 6-week extended observational periods (EOPs) in both summer and winter 2025. In this presentation, we present the first results from the UK-funded TEAMx-FLOW project, which focuses on the representation of wintertime orographic drag from mountain waves across spatial scales (including sub-km) in the UK Met Office Unified Model (UM) and its evaluation against TEAMx observations. Here we present analysis of the first of these observations, an intensive radiosonde balloon campaign launched throughout January-March 2025 conducted by the UK National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS). The NCAS campaign featured 6-hourly operational launches, complemented with 3-hourly intensive launch periods during mountain wave events and also simultaneous launches of offset pairs of radiosondes. We analyse and quantify mountain waves and their momentum transport in these measurements, including using cross-spectral analysis of the offset pairs to obtain scale separation of observed mountain waves, a process not routinely applied to balloon soundings before. We also explore observations of partial wave breakdown in horizontally sheared flow, a process highly challenging to represent in models. With these new observations, we outline how the representation of mountain waves across multiple spatial scales in the UM and other NWP models can be evaluated and improved to achieve ever more accurate sub-km modelling, leading to improved predictions of mountain weather and climate in next-generation models.

How to cite: Hindley, N., Orr, A., Wright, C., Ross, A., and Rosenberg, P.: First Results From The TEAMx-FLOW Project: Wintertime Radiosonde Observations And Numerical Modelling Of Mountain Waves Over The Tyrolean Alps, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-13871, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-13871, 2025.

Parameterizations of subgrid scale mountains are commonly used in large scale numerical weather prediction and climate models. They try to represent quite separate processes: the enhancement of the turbulent drag by orography, gravity waves and low level flow blocking. Among the gravity waves some schemes eventually separate between the upward propagating waves and the trapped lee waves.  Using a recent theoretical methodology that addresses the interaction of stratified boundary layers with mountains, a theory that handles the transition from neutral to stratified dynamics and trapped waves, we propose a formalism that can include all these effects.  As in most parameterizations it separates the flow between a linear part and a blocked part.  Here  the linear part handles enhanced turbulent drag in the neutral case and gravity waves in the stratified case, trapped lee waves in the transition. In this presentation we evaluate the mountain drag associated to all these processes as well as the fraction of the drag that stays within the boundary layer instead of being radiated in the far field.  We also try to  evaluate the blocked part by combining the sheltering effects that dominate when stratification is small and the blocking effects that dominate when stratification is large.

How to cite: Lott, F., Beljaars, A., and Deremble, B.: Rationale for a subgrid scale orography parameterization that includes turbulent form drag, gravity wave drag and low level flow blocking, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-4362, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-4362, 2025.

Although various lee wave trapping mechanisms have been studied theoretically since Lyra (1940), not much is known about the relative occurrence of these trapping mechanisms in the real world. For this purpose, vertical atmospheric profiles associated with trapped lee waves are clustered here using self-organising maps.

Because in-situ observations of trapped lee waves are scarce, these vertical profiles are extracted from the Met Office’s convective-scale UKV model (which encompasses the UK and Ireland). To demonstrate that this model accurately represents the conditions relevant to trapped lee wave generation, the wavelength and orientation of trapped lee waves visible in satellite imagery are compared to those in the model. The model is found to reproduce these observed characteristics well.

Subsequently, we use the trapped lee wave identification model developed by Coney et al. (2023) and a linear Taylor-Goldstein equation solver to determine which vertical profiles are associated with trapped lee wave activity. We confirm that high low-level wind speeds are a necessary condition for the generation of trapped lee waves of substantial amplitude. We find that wind speeds increasing with height contribute to wave trapping in most cases. Temperature inversions are present in roughly one-third of trapped lee wave cases. The implications of these results for the development of a trapped lee wave drag parametrisation scheme are discussed.

References:

Lyra, G. (1943) Theorie der stationären Leewellenströmung in freier Atmosphäre. Z. Angew. Math. Mech., 23, 1-28.

Coney, J. et al. (2023) Identifying and characterising trapped lee waves using deep learning techniques. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 150, 213–231.

How to cite: Houtman, H. G., Teixeira, M. A. C., Gray, S. L., Vosper, S., Sheridan, P., and van Niekerk, A.: Investigating lee wave trapping mechanisms over the UK and Ireland, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6939, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6939, 2025.

The atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) over mountainous regions plays a crucial role in exchange processes between the surface and the free atmosphere, influencing weather, climate, and air quality. Unlike the relatively uniform ABL over flat terrain, the structure of the mountain boundary layer (MoBL) is highly complex due to the wide spectrum of scales of motion induced by the multi-scale orography. These scales range from small-scale turbulence and coherent structures to slope and valley winds, encompassing both thermally and dynamically forced flows. This intricate interplay of processes creates a highly heterogeneous and variable boundary layer that challenges traditional modeling approaches and necessitates detailed investigation. This study aims to enhance understanding of the convective boundary layer (CBL) over highly complex terrain by addressing the following questions: What are the characteristics of the coherent structures (e.g., thermals) in the CBL and how stationary are they? What is their diurnal cycle, and how do their statistics, such as preferred locations, vary from day to day?

To answer these questions, we utilize the ICON model to perform large-domain, real-world large-eddy simulations (LES) at a resolution of 65 m, incorporating 1.5 million grid points. The simulations employ a nesting strategy with four domains at resolutions of 520 m, 260 m, 130 m, and 65 m, progressively refining the model to capture fine-scale dynamics. Conducted over the Swiss Alps for seven days in August 2022, the simulations reveal a highly heterogeneous boundary layer with preferred locations for thermal formation. These locations exhibit a rather consistent diurnal cycle and remarkably small day-to-day variability, despite changing large-scale forcings. Comparisons with Alptherm, a Lagrangian model designed for forecasting gliding conditions, provide additional context. Insights from this study advance our understanding of the mountain ABL and support improvements in mesoscale and forecasting models for complex terrain.

How to cite: Schmidli, J. and Neininger, B.: On the structure of the atmospheric boundary layer over highly complex terrain, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-20147, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-20147, 2025.

Foehn winds are warm, dry, downslope winds that occur on the lee side of mountain ranges. They result when moist air is forced to ascend on the windward side, cooling and losing moisture as precipitation. As the now-drier air descends on the leeward side, it warms adiabatically, leading to distinct temperature and humidity profiles. In the Alps, the descent of foehn winds is often confined to distinct hotspots where the interplay between complex topography, mountain-induced gravity waves, and flow separation processes focuses the descending air. These hotspots are associated with localized warming and drying, which can significantly influence weather conditions, predictability, and their impact on ecosystems and human activities in the affected regions. Previous studies, utilizing the COSMO model, a numerical weather prediction (NWP) model at 1 km resolution, visualized these hotspots and established their connection to mountain-induced gravity wave. However, the adequacy of a 1 km resolution in accurately capturing flow separation at the mountain surface—a key feature influencing foehn dynamics and predictability—remains an open question.

To address this question, we conducted high-resolution simulations for two case studies: one in the Rhine Valley from February 2017 and another in Meiringen, Switzerland, from March 2022. Simulations were performed using the ICON model in NWP mode at a horizontal resolution of 1.1 km and ICON-LES at resolutions of 520 m, 260 m, and 130 m. For the Meiringen case, we validated our model setup using wind and temperature profiles obtained from the Meiringen Campaign (2021–2022). Meanwhile, the Rhine Valley case, previously analyzed at a resolution of 1 km, was revisited to assess whether higher resolutions provide an improved representation of flow separation dynamics. Additionally, we employ offline trajectories to precisely track the descent locations of the foehn air parcels, providing a detailed assessment of how model resolution influences the spatial distribution of descent hotspots in the Swiss Alps.

Our study is the first to combine trajectory analysis with LES simulations in foehn research, enabling a detailed visualization of foehn trajectories. The ultimate goal of this study is to provide guidance on selecting appropriate model resolutions to enhance the accuracy of research on foehn winds and their associated effects.

How to cite: Quimbayo-Duarte, J., Tian, Y., and Schmidli, J.: Assessing the representation of flow separation in Foehn descent with high-resolution numerical simulations, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16472, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16472, 2025.

The urban areas of many developing cities are suffering from environmental problems due to overpopulation and inadequate public services, in that sense, air pollution is one of the biggest problems. In general, Latin American cities have a higher density of vehicles and are therefore prone to experience high contributions of vehicular pollution. Considering also that the vehicle fleet is old and, in many cases, poorly maintained compared to more developed cities.

The dispersion of pollutants is mainly influenced by wind characteristics, which in turn are influenced by surface roughness (urban coverage) and mountain topography. The objective of the study is to evaluate the influence of surface roughness and topography on wind profiles and the dispersion of atmospheric pollutants in two populated hills located in the city of Cusco, the first called UNSAAC and the second Independencia Hill.

The analysis will be carried out using the numerical model RANS ENVI-met, which determines the dispersion of air pollutant taking into account the interaction between the cover and the atmosphere. The input of the model will be the topographic information, hourly meteorological data and the concentration of pollutants (NO₂, SO₂, O₃, PM10) measured in the field for two months.

In the UNSAAC area, the urban coverage extends along one of the faces of a mountain with a 21 % slope and in the Indepencia area, the urban coverage is located between two mountains with a slope of 15 % (see Figure 1). Regarding roughness, 3 cases were evaluated: zero roughness (topography without buildings), normal roughness (topography with buildings) and increased roughness (topography with doubled-height buildings). Two wind directions were evaluated: 180° and 360°.

Figure 1: Northern axis of evaluation in the Independencia and UNSAAC area

According to the results, the velocity in the boundary layer is lower when the roughness is increased for both study areas; this difference is greater when the wind direction is 360° (see Figure 2). It can also be observed that the height of the boundary layer is higher in the urban area of Independencia. Here, the velocity exceeds 2 m/s at a height of 20 m, while, in the other profiles it exceeds this value at a height less than 5 m. On the other hand, a peak in the NO₂ concentration values ​​with 180 µg/m³ can be observed in the urban area of ​​Independencia (see Figure 3).

The results of the study may be useful to buid a risk map of both areas, in order to identify areas with high concentrations of pollutants, and propose measures to reduce pollution, such as limiting the number of vehicles on certain roads.

Figure 2: Wind profiles for a) UNSAAC zone WD= 180° b) UNSAAC zone WD= 360° c) Independencia zone WD= 180° d) Independencia zone WD= 360°

Figure 3: NO₂ concentration for a) UNSAAC zone  and b) Independencia zone

How to cite: Mallqui, R., Horna, D., and Cabrera, J.: Study of the influence of surface roughness and topography on wind profiles and the dispersion of atmospheric pollutant in two populated hills in Cusco, Peru, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-7252, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7252, 2025.

High-altitude regions have been identified as hotspots of climate change. In particular, the dependence of warming rates on elevation, known as Elevation-Dependent Warming (EDW), has been extensively discussed in the literature. Recently, the focus has expanded to the broader concept of Elevation-Dependent Climate Change (EDCC), with attention to precipitation and its extremes, given their importance for mountain hydrological resources and their role in triggering geo-hydrological hazards. Recent studies have investigated the elevational stratification of precipitation in  in-situ observations and reanalysis datasets, showing a lack of uniform patterns of EDCC across the world, which point to the need for common methodologies and insight in the driving mechanisms. In this study, we extend results we obtained with the ERA5 reanalysis to CMIP6 global climate models, and study EDCC in key mountain regions of the world: Tibetan Plateau, the US Rocky Mountains, the Greater Alpine Region, and the Andes. We focus on precipitation and its extremes, assessing the ability of the models  to reproduce historical patterns of stratification by comparison with ERA5 reanalysis data and other observation-based gridded datasets. We also explore how the stratification in other key climate variables, such as cloud cover, humidity, besides temperature, influence the elevational patterns of precipitation and precipitation extremes and their trends. Our analysis aims to determine whether the observed elevation-dependent precipitation patterns are primarily driven by dynamical, thermodynamical, or microphysical processes, identifying seasonal variations and the specific precipitation type (i.e., stratiform vs convective)  mostly affected. Particular attention is given to the role of the model spatial resolution, including regional climate models in a case study analysis over the Greater Alpine Region.

How to cite: Ferguglia, O., Palazzi, E., and Arnone, E.: Elevational dependency of precipitation climatology and trends in global mountains: a model view, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-846, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-846, 2025.

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) has experienced accelerated warming in recent decades, especially in winter. However, a comprehensive quantitative study of its long-term warming processes during daytime and nighttime is lacking. This study quantifies the different processes driving the acceleration of winter daytime and nighttime warming over the TP during 1961-2022 using surface energy budget analysis. The results show that the surface warming over the TP is mainly controlled by two processes: a) a decrease in snow cover leading to a decrease in albedo and an increase in net downward shortwave radiation (snow-albedo feedback), and b) a warming in tropospheric temperature (850-200 hPa) leading to an increase in downward longwave radiation (air warming-longwave radiation effect). The latter has a greater impact on the spatial distribution of warming than the former, and both factors jointly influence the elevation dependent warming pattern. Snow-albedo feedback is the primary factor in daytime warming over the monsoon region, contributing to about 59% of the simulated warming trend. In contrast, nighttime warming over the monsoon region and daytime/nighttime warming in the westerly region are primarily caused by the air warming-longwave radiation effect, contributing up to 67% of the simulated warming trend. The trend in the near-surface temperature mirrors that of the surface temperature, and the same process can explain changes in both. However, there are some differences: an increase in sensible heat flux is driven by a rise in the ground-atmosphere temperature difference. The increase in latent heat flux is associated with enhanced evaporation due to increased soil temperature and is also controlled by soil moisture. Both of these processes regulate the temperature difference between ground and near-surface atmosphere.

How to cite: Wu, F., You, Q., and Pepin, N.: Quantifying processes of winter daytime and nighttime warming over the Tibetan Plateau, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-1443, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-1443, 2025.

The global retreat of glaciers is a widely recognized indicator of climate change. However, the Karakoram region of the Himalayas defies this trend, exhibiting a unique phenomenon termed the “Karakoram Anomaly,” characterized by glacier stability or surges. This anomaly has been increasingly linked to the dynamics of western disturbances (WDs), upper-tropospheric synoptic systems propagating eastward along the subtropical westerly jet stream, critical drivers of winter precipitation in the region. This study synthesizes recent analyses of WDs using tracking algorithms applied to reanalysis datasets (ERA5, MERRA2, and NCEP-CFSR/CFSv2) to evaluate their role in sustaining the Karakoram Anomaly. While the frequency of WDs has remained relatively steady, a ∼10% increase in precipitation intensity associated with WDs over the anomaly core region has been observed in recent decades. The Karakoram receives approximately 65% of its total winter snowfall from WDs, emphasizing its pivotal role in modulating regional glacier mass balance. Concurrently, snowfall from non-WD sources has declined by ∼17%, further underscoring the significance of WDs. Changes in atmospheric dynamics, including enhanced baroclinic instability and a latitudinal shift in the subtropical westerly jet, have been identified as contributors to the increased intensity of WDs. Moreover, a statistically significant eastward shift (~9.7°E) in the genesis zone of WDs has been noted, resulting in enhanced cyclogenesis potential, higher moisture availability, and reduced propagation speeds. These factors collectively intensify WD-induced precipitation events over the Karakoram, supporting anomalous glacier behavior. This study highlights the critical influence of strengthening WDs on the Karakoram Anomaly, providing new insights into the interplay between atmospheric dynamics and regional glacier dynamics under climate change.

Keywords: Glaciers, Karakoram anomaly, Western Disturbances, TRACK

Acknowledgement: Funding from Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Govt. of India, grant number CRG/2021/00l227-G

How to cite: Kumar, P. and Javed, A.: Karakoram Anomaly and its connection with the Western Disturbances, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-14227, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-14227, 2025.

High Mountain Asia has experienced significant warming in recent decades. Changes in both temperature and precipitation patterns have strongly impacted regional hydrology, including changes to glaciers, snowmelt, and river systems. Here we examine long-term (1983-2023) and high-resolution (30 m) changes in water-surface temperature over a large and topographically diverse region encompassing the world’s highest mountains. We find that water-surface temperatures have significantly increased in the vast majority of the study area -- especially in snow-covered and high-elevation regions -- with a noted acceleration over the past decade. While some of this warming can be explained by increasing regional air temperatures, we find that surface water is warming faster than nearby dry areas. We posit that modifications to snowmelt timing and volume have created strong spatial heterogeneities in surface-water warming. These impacts will be felt both directly by cold-water flora and fauna, and downstream through decreases in surface-water quality.

How to cite: Smith, T. and Bookhagen, B.: Strongly Heterogeneous Surface-Water Warming Trends in High Mountain Asia, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-3039, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-3039, 2025.

The Himalayas, known as the Earth's third pole, are vital to regional and global climate systems, supporting globally significant biodiversity and livelihoods through ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and water. However, in the west-central Indian Himalayas, moist, broad-leaved mixed-Oak forests are increasingly being replaced by dry, fire tolerant and fire prone Chir Pine forests, posing ecological concerns. This transition threatens biodiversity, reduces ecosystem functionality, and disrupts water availability, raising significant ecological and societal concerns. While the socio-ecological impacts have been explored, the hydro-climatic consequences remain less understood. To address this knowledge and data gap, we established two research observatories in Uttarakhand’s Chir pine and mixed-oak forests (~1600m elevation, 23° slope) to investigate how these forest transitions affect land -atmosphere energy fluxes, soil moisture, streamflow, and transpiration. Our study integrates field measurements with numerical simulations to provide insights into these changes. Bowen ratio (BR) assemblies were installed at 30m (pine) and 18m (oak) heights, equipped with EE181 and HC2S3 temperature and humidity sensors. Seasonal on-site calibration ensured reliable data collection, resulting in a nearly complete year of high-quality data from these remote locations. During the monsoon season, Pines exhibit higher BR evapotranspiration (ET) compared to Oaks, while during the dry period, their ET is only marginally higher. At the tree level, Pines transpire over a larger sapwood area and exhibit less stringent regulation of sap flow and associated transpiration under varying environmental conditions compared to Oaks. Hydrological analyses indicate that the catchments dominated by Pine have lower baseflow to precipitation percentage compared to Oak, rendering streams in these Pine dominated catchments ephemeral, unlike the more sustained baseflow in Oak-dominated forests. All the measurements corroborate the higher evapotranspiration observed in the Chir pine forest compared to Oak. These observations have been used to parameterize vegetation in the Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Model, enabling high-resolution simulations of regional hydro-climatic conditions under different forest covers  This first ever study of these Himalayan vegetation transitions is likely to provide insights into the future changes in ecohydrology in this biodiversity and water security hotspot. 

How to cite: Mohanty, J. R., Khanna, J., Sen, S., and Krishnaswamy, J.: Forest Transition and its Hydro-Climatic Impacts in the Indian Himalayas: Inferences from Field Observations , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-12489, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-12489, 2025.

Some of the rainiest regions on Earth lie upstream of tropical mountains, where the interaction of prevailing winds with orography produces frequent precipitating convection. Yet, the response of tropical orographic precipitation to the large-scale wind and temperature variations induced by anthropogenic climate change remains largely unconstrained.
Here, we quantify the sensitivity of tropical orographic precipitation to background cross-slope wind using theory, idealized simulations, and observations. We build on a recently developed theoretical framework that characterises the orographic enhancement of seasonal-mean precipitation, relative to upstream regions, as a response of convection to cooling and moistening of the lower free-troposphere by stationary orographic gravity waves. Using this framework and convection-permitting simulations, we show that higher cross-slope wind speeds deepen the penetration of the cool and moist gravity wave perturbation upstream of orography, resulting in a mean rainfall increase of 20--30% per m s^-1 increase in cross-slope wind speed.
Additionally, we show that orographic precipitation in five tropical regions exhibits a similar dependence on changes in cross-slope wind at both seasonal and daily timescales. Given next-century changes in large-scale winds around tropical orography projected by global climate models, this strong scaling rate implies wind-induced changes in some of Earth's rainiest regions that are comparable with any produced directly by increases in global mean temperature and humidity. 

How to cite: Nicolas, Q. and Boos, W.: Sensitivity of tropical orographic precipitation to wind speed with implications for future projections, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-3810, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-3810, 2025.

This study investigates elevation-dependent warming (EDW) in the Alps, focusing on Berchtesgaden National Park, Germany, to provide insights into the drivers of warming patterns and their spatial variability.
EDW refers to the variation in warming rates across altitude, often characterized by intensified warming trends at higher elevations. This phenomenon has significant implications for mountainous and downstream ecosystems and water resources. While multiple factors contributing to EDW have been discussed in the literature – such as snow-albedo feedbacks and the increased sensitivity of cold, dry regions to climate change – the roles of soil interactions and topography remain underexplored.

Our research uses high-resolution spatial data and long-term temperature records to uncover how topography, soil properties and surface energy dynamics contribute to EDW. We utilize data from HISTALP, a homogenized observational dataset for the Greater Alpine Region, to examine the relationship between warming trends and topographic factors. Within the national park, 23 long-term stations monitor meteorological variables. Additionally, three temporary stations spanning altitudes from 617 to 1930 m measure surface energy balance components to capture elevation-dependent and small-scale effects.

Preliminary findings indicate that EDW is influenced by factors beyond altitude. Historical data (1910–2010) reveal significant warming across altitudes in the Greater Alpine Region, with rates of 0.4–2.4 K per century. Higher elevations generally experience stronger warming, except in winter, when mid-elevation bands (500–1000 m) warm the most. Slope orientation significantly affects warming rates, with north-facing slopes showing amplified trends. Ongoing research aims to develop a statistical model incorporating topography, vegetation and soil properties to map warming trends across the Alps.
Ground heat flux analysis reveals spatial variations potentially influenced by soil depth and moisture retention at different altitudes. Integrating these observations with simulations from the GEOtop hydrological model will provide spatially detailed and novel insights into relevant land surface processes.

How to cite: Zitzmann, S., Fersch, B., and Kunstmann, H.: Understanding elevation-dependent warming in the Alps through high-resolution surface energy balance analysis, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16132, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16132, 2025.