A first consistent and homogenized polygon-based inventory of rock glaciers of the Austrian Alps is presented. Compiling previous inventories and updating them by using digital elevation models (1 m grid resolution) derived from airborne laser scanning yield a dataset of 5769 rock glaciers in a ca. 48400 km2 large area. A consistent methodological approach for assigning attributes, stored in a detailed attribute table, was developed and applied here to improve comparability and reproducibility. The majority (60 %) of the studied landforms is considered to be relict (no permafrost); the remaining 40 % may still contain permafrost ice and are thus classified as intact. Rock glaciers range in elevation from 476 to 3312 m a.s.l. and cover a total area of 303 km2. The distribution of rock glaciers is mainly related to the topography of the Austrian Alps and related effects such as past glaciation history.In addition, a comprehensive analysis of the hydrological catchment areas of all individual rock glaciers was carried out. A hydrological catchment analysis in rock glacier areas is of great interest for sustainable water management issues in alpine catchments as these landforms represent shallow aquifer systems with a relatively high storage and thus buffer capability, especially in crystalline bedrock areas. A total area of almost 1280 km2 is drained through rock glaciers.The presented rock glacier and rock glacier catchment inventories provide an important basis for further research, particularly for a better understanding of the hydrogeology and geomorphology of alpine catchments and their potential alteration in the light of climate change, but also in terms of paleoglaciation and deglaciation in the Alpine Lateglacial to Holocene period. As such, the inventories are seen as an important base to stimulate further research.

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BackgroundIn recent years, the genome biology community has expended considerable effort to confront the challenges of managing heterogeneous data in a structured and organized way and developed laboratory information management systems (LIMS) for both raw and processed data. On the other hand, electronic notebooks were developed to record and manage scientific data, and facilitate data-sharing. Software which enables both, management of large datasets and digital recording of laboratory procedures would serve a real need in laboratories using medium and high-throughput techniques.ResultsWe have developed iLAP (Laboratory data management, Analysis, and Protocol development), a workflow-driven information management system specifically designed to create and manage experimental protocols, and to analyze and share laboratory data. The system combines experimental protocol development, wizard-based data acquisition, and high-throughput data analysis into a single, integrated system. We demonstrate the power and the flexibility of the platform using a microscopy case study based on a combinatorial multiple fluorescence in situ hybridization (m-FISH) protocol and 3D-image reconstruction. iLAP is freely available under the open source license AGPL from http://genome.tugraz.at/iLAP/.ConclusioniLAP is a flexible and versatile information management system, which has the potential to close the gap between electronic notebooks and LIMS and can therefore be of great value for a broad scientific community.

The active rock glacier "Innere Ölgrube" and its catchment area (Ötztal Alps, Austria) are assessed using various hydro(geo)logical tools to provide a thorough catchment characterization and to quantify temporal variations in recharge and discharge components. During the period from June 2014 to July 2018, an average contribution derived from snowmelt, ice melt and rainfall of 35.8%, 27.6% and 36.6%, respectively, is modelled for the catchment using a rainfall-runoff model. Discharge components of the rock glacier springs are distinguished using isotopic data as well as other natural and artificial tracer data, when considering the potential sources rainfall, snowmelt, ice melt and longer stored groundwater. Seasonal as well as diurnal variations in runoff are quantified and the importance of shallow groundwater within this rock glacier-influenced catchment is emphasized. Water derived from ice melt is suggested to be provided mainly by melting of two small cirque glaciers within the catchment and subordinately by melting of permafrost ice of the rock glacier. The active rock glacier is characterized by a layered internal structure with an unfrozen base layer responsible for groundwater storage and retarded runoff, a main permafrost body contributing little to the discharge (at the moment) by permafrost thaw and an active layer responsible for fast lateral flow on top of the permafrost body.Snowmelt contributes at least 1/3rd of the annual recharge. During droughts, meltwater derived from two cirque glaciers provides runoff with diurnal runoff variations; however, this discharge pattern will change as these cirque glaciers will ultimately disappear in the future. The storage-discharge characteristics of the investigated active rock glacier catchment are an example of a shallow groundwater aquifer in alpine catchments that ought to be considered when analysing (future) river runoff characteristics in alpine catchments as these provide retarded runoff during periods with little or no recharge.

Alpine aquifers play a critical role in the hydrology of mountainous areas by sustaining base flow in downstream rivers during dry periods and retarding flood propagation after heavy precipitation events. Progressing climate change alters climatic and meteorological boundary conditions as well as the hydraulic response of alpine catchments by ablating glaciers and thawing permafrost. Rock glaciers exert a controlling influence on the catchment response due to their prominent groundwater storage and complex drainage characteristics. This thesis investigates the hydrogeology and internal structure of the active rock glacier Innere Ölgrube (Ötztal Alps), which governs catchment runoff and is affected by permafrost degradation. A 3D geometrical model of its internal structure is obtained by combining geophysical data and permafrost creep modelling. Available data and new results are integrated into a conceptual hydrogeological model providing a sound basis for the implementation of a prospective numerical groundwater flow model. Hydraulic properties of the hydrostratigraphic units constituting the rock glacier are estimated and groundwater recharge fluxes quantified. Fundamental properties of the heterogeneous groundwater flow system within the rock glacier are discussed and compared to existing rock glacier studies. Keywords Active rock glacier • Groundwater flow • Storage capacity • Hydraulic properties • Conceptual model • Austria Kurzfassung Alpine Aquifere nehmen eine hydrologische Schlüsselrolle in Gebirgsregionen ein. Während Trockenzeiten gewährleisten sie den Basisabfluss der unterhalb gelegenen Bäche und Flüsse, nach Starkniederschlägen verzögern sie den Hochwasserabfluss. Der fortschreitende Klimawandel verändert sowohl die klimatischen und meteorologischen Randbedingungen als auch das hydraulische Verhalten alpiner Einzugsgebiete durch Abschmelzen von Gletschern und Abtauen von Permafrost. Aufgrund ihrer ausgeprägten Speicherfähigkeit und komplexen Grundwasserströmung im Inneren prägen Blockgletscher das Abflussverhalten alpiner Einzugsgebiete. Diese Arbeit untersucht die hydrogeologischen Eigenschaften und interne Struktur des aktiven Blockgletschers Innere Ölgrube in den Ötztaler Alpen. Der Blockgletscher dominiert den Abfluss des dahinter liegenden Einzugsgebiets. Sein gefrorener Kern ist von fortschreitendem Permafrostabtau betroffen. Die Kombination geophysikalischer Erkenntnisse mit einem mechanischen Modell ermöglicht die Konstruktion eines dreidimensionalen geometrischen Modells der internen Blockgletscherstruktur. Bereits verfügbare Daten werden um neue Ergebnisse ergänzt und zu einem konzeptionellen hydrogeologischen Modell zusammengeführt, das eine solide Basis für ein zukünftiges numerisches Grundwasserströmungsmodell bildet. Die Arbeit enthält eine Abschätzung der hydraulischen Eigenschaften der wichtigsten hydrostratigraphischen Einheiten, welche den Blockgletscher aufbauen, sowie eine Quantifizierung der Grundwasserneubildungsraten. Die wesentlichen Eigenschaften des heterogenen Strömungssy...