Natural hazards

To predict toxic algal blooms, researchers from Eawag recommend a combination of species identification and chemical measurements. Now, a new study confirms that there is no magic formula and that, instead, specific indicator molecules are needed for each lake.

At the Illgraben debris­flow observa­tion station, WSL researchers are de­veloping early warning systems that combine seismology and artificial in­telligence. A trip to the perhaps most hostile place in Switzerland.

Brienz has just been evacuated for the second time. The decision is based, among other things, on thousands of simulations that ETH professor Jordan Aaron has produced using a computer model he developed. In an interview with ETH News, he explains why this model was used.

An SLF analysis shows how climate change will affect the avalanche situation in Switzerland this century.

When the Brienz rockslide rumbled down into the valley in 2023, a research team from WSL and ETH Zurich successfully measured the tremors using a new method. It uses existing internet fiber optic cables and is therefore very promising for the large-scale monitoring of earthquakes, avalanches, and rock movements.

EPFL researchers have for the first time recorded X-rays being produced at the beginning of upward positive lightning flashes; an observation that gives important insight into the origins of this rare – and particularly dangerous – form of lightning.