Current projects

Here are some projects I am currently working on (last update: 09.2023)

For other projects and themes (heat-tracing, Earth tide analysis, etc.), please have a look at my publications.

Hydro-gravimetry as a monitoring solution for mountain catchments

Time-lapse gravimetry (TLG) is an emerging hydro-geophysical technique that involves repeat measurement of g to parts-per-billion precision at fixed locations. It has great potential for improving hydrogeological models of mountain headwater catchments. These catchments are characterised by data sparsity, heterogeneity, and large seasonal hydrological changes. We aim to determine the "data value" of TLG in informing quantitative models and to establish use of the technique beyond of highly-instrumented "laboratory" catchments.

Students: Nazanin Mohammadi (PhD 2023-), Antoine Carron (MSc 2022-), Fernando Gutierrez (MSc 2022-)

See: RADMOGG Project (2023-), 10.1016/j.envsoft.2022.105340 & 10.1002/hyp.13884

Hydrological implications of land-use changes in conflict zones

Armed conflict often leads to large-scale changes in land-use due to forced human migration. These land-use changes can have significant impacts on regional hydrology (which, in turn, affects human migration). While reliable hydrological and environmental data from conflict zones are also non-existent or simply unattainable, innovative use of remote sensing can help fill this data gap. Using remote sensing data in conjunction with hydrological models, we aim to understand and quantify the impacts of both climatic factors and the ongoing Syrian Civil War on the hydrological conditions of the trans-national Orontes (al-Asi) basin.

Students: Saeed Mhanna (PhD 2021-)

Roles of rock glaciers in alpine hydrology/hydrogeology

Rock glaciers play a localised, yet important role, in the hydrology of many mountain catchments. These rapidly disappearing water stocks can ensure streamflow during warm, dry periods, but their hydrology is not well understood. Two projects, one in collaboration with the CRÉALP and the other with Dr. Clément Roques (CHYN), are currently underway in the Vallon de Réchy (Valais, Switzerland) and in Valposchiavo (Grisons, Switzerland). Using a multi-faced approach (geophysics, geochemistry, hydrological monitoring and numerical modelling), we aim to quantify rock glaciers' contributions to the catchment water budget and to understand the impact of the eventual loss of this alpine water resource.

Students: Noam Makkinga (MSc 2023) & Cyprien Louis (MSc 2023)

Modelling processes affecting the fate and isotopic signature of groundwater contaminants

The interplay between multiple physical and chemical processes affects the fate of groundwater contaminants. The state of many groundwater contaminants, including chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs), can be evaluated using compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA). In order for this data to be correctly interpreted, a mathematical framework and modelling approach needs to be implemented.

See: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147826 & 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137749

The role of groundwater in alpine headwater catchment hydrology

Alpine catchments play a vital role in sustaining down-gradient streamflow. The hydrology of these catchments is highly dynamic and is generally characterised by an annual cycle including snow accumulation and melt phases. In such catchments, a large percentage of precipitation infiltrates into, and is transported within, the subsurface as groundwater. This water can subsequently discharge to the surface at springs or beneath surface water bodies. 3-D information about the subsurface is crucial for understanding and characterising this cycle of recharge, residence, and discharge of groundwater and for adequate water resource management in alpine regions.

Student: Ronny Figueroa (PhD 2023-), Jeremy Millwater (MSc 2022)