Lecture 2a “Mountain Spheres”
"Good Old Man makes the cold, and Old Man makes the chinook wind." (Blackfoot people)
Mountain Spheres
Preamble:
There are multiple interactions between mountains and the different spheres of the Earth. This lecture focuses on the influence of mountains on several spheres that are crucial for environmental conditions and habitats in mountain areas and their forelands.
Benefits from lecture:
- Understanding of specific weather and climate features in mountain areas
- Understanding of mountain hydrology e.g. relevant for water availability or water related hazards
- Unterstanding of unique ecological features in mountains and their importance for biodiversity
Special features of lecture:
Theoretical background, literature studies and practical projects on
- Atmosphere and Cryosphere
- Hydrosphere
- Biosphere
and their interaction with mountains.
Main lecturers:
- Wolfgang Gurgiser
- Gertraud Meißl
- Stefan Mayr
Lectures
Unit 1 - Introduction
02.10.2025, 13:45 - 14:30; Wolfgang Gurgiser, Gertraud Meißl, Stefan Mayr (1x45 min)
- Introduction
- Course requirements
Unit 2 - Atmosphere & Cryosphere:
09.10.2025, 13:45 - 17:00 Wolfgang Gurgiser (4x45 min)
- Mountain-Atmosphere interactions
- Extreme weather in mountain regions
- Mountain Climate
Unit 3 - Atmosphere and Cryosphere
16.10.2025, 13:45 - 17:00; Wolfgang Gurgiser (4x45 min)
- Mountain glaciers
- Climate change in mountain regions
- Renewable energy in mountain regions
Unit 4 - Atmosphere and Cryosphere
23.10.2025, 13:45 - 17:00; Wolfgang Gurgiser (4x45 min)
- Paper presentation
- Summary
