Research Interests

• Permafrost
• Mountain environments
• Climate change impacts
• Cryosphere control on slope instability
• Heterogeneous environments and their quantification with measurements and models
• Uncertainty in computer simulations
• Wireless sensing networks and customized sensor technology

 

Short biography

Since 2013	Associate   Professor	Carleton   University, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
2006–2013	Senior   Researcher and Lecturer	University   of Zurich, Switzerland
2005–2006	Postdoctoral   Researcher	Université   de Savoie, France
2000–2005	Ph.D.   (Dr. Sc. Nat.)	University   of Zurich, Switzerland
1998/1999	Environmental   Systems Analysis and Monitoring	ITC,   the Netherlands
1996/1997	Diploma   in Arctic Studies	Arctic Centre / University of Lapland, Finland
1994–1999	M.Sc.   (Diplom) in Physical Geography	Justus-Liebig-University   Giessen, Germany

 

Selected publications

Girard, L., Gruber, S., Weber, S. & Beutel J. 2013: Frost cracking revisited through one year of in-situ acoustic emission measurements in steep bedrock, Geophysical Research Letters, 40(9), 1748–1753, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/grl.50384

Girard, L., Beutel, J., Gruber, S., Hunziker, J., Lim, R. & Weber, S. 2012: A custom acoustic emission monitoring system for harsh environments: application to freezing-induced damage in alpine rock-walls, Geoscientific Instrumentation, Methods and Data Systems, 1, 155–167, http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/gi-1-155-2012

Fiddes, J. & Gruber, S. 2012: TopoSUB: a tool for efficient large area numerical modelling in complex topography at sub-grid scales, Geoscientific Model Development, 5, 1245–1257, http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/gmd-5-1245-2012

Schmid, M.-O., Gubler, S., Fiddes, J. & Gruber, S. 2012: Inferring snow pack ripening and melt out from distributed ground surface temperature measurements, The Cryosphere, 6, 1127–1139, http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-1127-2012

Amitrano, D., Gruber, S., & Girard, L. 2012: Evidence of frost-cracking inferred from acoustic emissions in an high-alpine rock-wall, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 341–344, 86–93, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2012.06.014

Boeckli, L., Brenning, A., Gruber, S. & Noetzli J. 2012: Permafrost distribution in the European Alps: calculation and evaluation of an index map and summary statistics, The Cryosphere, 6, 807–820, http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-807-2012

Gubler, S., Gruber S., Purves R.S. 2012: Uncertainties of parameterized near-surface downwelling longwave and clear-sky direct radiation, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics., 12, 5077–5098, http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-5077-2012

Hasler, A., Gruber, S. & Beutel, J. 2012: Kinematics of steep bedrock permafrost, Journal of Geophysical Research, 117, F01016, http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2011JF001981

Gruber, S. 2012: Derivation and analysis of a high-resolution estimate of global permafrost zonation, The Cryosphere, 6, 221–233, http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-221-2012

Boeckli, L., Brenning, A., Gruber, S. & Noetzli J. 2012: A statistical permafrost distribution model for the European Alps, The Cryosphere, 6, 125–140, http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-125-2012

Wirz, V.W., Schirmer, M., Gruber, S. and Lehning, M. 2011: Spatio-temporal measurements and analysis of snow depth in a rock face, The Cryosphere, 5, 893–905, http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-893-2011

Cremonese, E., Gruber, S., Phillips, M. and 15 others 2011: Brief Communication: An inventory of permafrost evidence for the European Alps, The Cryosphere, 5, 651–657, http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-651-2011

Hasler, A., Gruber, S. & Haeberli, W. 2011: Temperature variability and thermal offset in steep alpine rock and ice faces, The Cryosphere, 5, 977–988, http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-977-2011

Hasler, A., Gruber, S., Font, M. & Dubois, A. 2011: Advective heat transport in frozen rock clefts – conceptual model, laboratory experiments and numerical simulation, Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 22, 378–389, doi: 10.1002/ppp.737

Dall’Amico, M., Endrizzi, S., Gruber, S. & Rigon, R. 2011: An energy-conservative model of freezing variably-saturated soil, The Cryosphere, 5, 469–484, http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-469-2011

Gubler, S., Fiddes, J., Gruber, S. & Keller, M. 2011: Measuring and analysis of scale dependent variability of ground surface temperatures in alpine terrain, The Cryosphere, 5, 431–443, http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-431-2011

Haeberli, W., Noetzli, J., Arenson, L., Delaloye, R., Gärtner-Roer, I., Gruber, S., Isaksen, K., Kneisel, C., Krautblatter, M. & Phillips, M. 2011: Mountain permafrost – development and challenges of a young research field, Journal of Glaciology, 56(200), 1043–1058, http://dx.doi.org/10.3189/002214311796406121

Ravanel, L., Allignol, F., Deline, P., Gruber, S. & Ravello, M. 2010: Rock falls in the Mont-Blanc massif in 2007 and 2008, Landslides, 7(4), 493–501, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10346-010-0206-z

Allen, S.K., Gruber,S. & Ownes, I.F. 2009: Exploring steep permafrost bedrock and its relationship with recent slope failures in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 20(4), 345–356, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ppp.658

Noetzli, J. & Gruber, S. 2009: Transient thermal effects in Alpine permafrost, The Cryosphere, 3, 85–99, http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-3-85-2009

Harris, C., Arenson, L.U., Christiansen, H.H., Etzelmüller, B., Frauenfelder, R., Gruber, S., Haeberli,W., Hauck, C., Hölzle, M., Humlum, O., Isaksen, K., Kääb, A., Lehning, M., Lütschg, M.A., Matsuoka, N., Murton, J.B., Nötzli, J., Phillips, M., Ross, N., Seppälä, M., Springman, S.M. & Vonder Mühll, D. 2009: Permafrost and climate in Europe: geomorphological impacts, hazard assessment and geotechnical response, Earth Science Reviews, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2008.12.002

Ramos, M., Hasler, A., Vieira, G., Hauck, C. & Gruber, S. 2009: Setting up boreholes for permafrost thermal monitoring on Livingston Island in the Maritime Antarctic. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 20(1), 57-64, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ppp.635

Gruber, S. & Peckham, S. 2008: Land surface parameters and objects specfic to hydrology. In: Hengl, T. & Reuter, H.I. (Eds), Geomorphometry: Geomorphometry: Concepts, Software, Applications. Developments in Soil Science, vol. 33, Elsevier B.V., ISSN 0166-2481, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0166-2481(08)00007-X

Gruber, S., Huggel, C. & Pike, R. 2008: Modeling mass movements and landslide susceptibility using geomorphometry. In: Hengl, T. & Reuter, H.I. (Eds), Geomorphometry: Geomorphometry: Concepts, Software, Applications. Developments in Soil Science, vol. 33, Elsevier B.V., ISSN 0166-2481,http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0166-2481(08)00023-8

Abramov, A., Gruber, S. & Gilichinsky, D. 2008: Mountain permafrost on active volcanoes: Klyuchevskaya volcano group (Kamchatka) – field data and statistical mapping, Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 19(3), 261-277, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ppp.622

Riseborough, D., Shiklomanov, N., Etzelmüller, B., Gruber, S. & Marchenko, S. 2008: Recent advances in permafrost modeling. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 19(2), 137–156, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ppp.615

Gruber, S. 2007: MTD: a mass-conserving algorithm to parameterize gravitational transport and deposition processes using digital elevation models, Water Resources Research, 43, W06412, http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2006WR004868

Gruber, S. & Haeberli, W. 2007: Permafrost in steep bedrock slopes and its temperature-related destabilization following climate change, Journal of Geophysical Research, 112, F02S18, http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2006JF000547

Gruber, S., Hoelzle, M. & Haeberli, W. 2004: Permafrost thaw and destabilization of Alpine rock walls in the hot summer of 2003, Geophysical Research Letters, 31, L13504, http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2004GL020051