Research

The core cartographic and geographical areas of risk communication comprise those methods and principles that are used to convey spatial hazards and the resulting risks in a comprehensible, precise and action-oriented manner. From a cartographic perspective, the emphasis is on the comprehensible visualisation of hazard areas, the reduction of complex models to clear representations, the utilisation of interactive and digital maps, and the design oriented towards specific target groups. In this context, risk communication is defined as the technology- and data-based communication of spatial risk and hazard information, with the objective of presenting complex geographical contexts in a comprehensible manner, making uncertainties transparent, and enabling affected actors to take informed, prevention- and decision-oriented actions. The RISKCOMM project will provide the basis for this.

This project involves evaluating the first operational data from sensors developed in preliminary projects using UAV/UAS for contactless and non-contact recording of snow data. This method enables interference-free measurement of temperature, humidity, pressure and movement on avalanche slopes. The sensors are deployed in a test field in open terrain using UAV/UAS. A sensor network consisting of several sensor measuring boxes is set up at specific test locations. Regular data collection is carried out via a mobile base station which is stationary or mobile and located on a UAV. Furthermore, a concept is being developed on how avalanche commissions can use the data to assess local avalanche slopes.

A hydrographic survey using multibeam echosounding and UAV-based photogrammetry produced a high-resolution bathymetric model of the lake. This detailed 3D model reveals a variety of previously unknown underwater landslides as well as hydrogeological structures of varying characteristics. In addition to the morphological parameters derived from this model, the analysis of sub-bottom profiling data and sediment cores provides further insights into the near-surface internal structure of the lake floor. The integration of all data sets aims to improve the understanding of the lake’s developmental history and hydrogeological conditions, the relationships between mass movements and their triggers (e.g., earthquakes), as well as the impact of climatic changes on sedimentary systems in this alpine environment.