Doesen/Dösen Rock Glacier (Carinthia, Austria):

Doesen/Dösen rock glacier (46°59'12" N, 13°17'08" E) is located in the Ankogel group of the Hohe Tauern range, Austria. It is situated at the end of the glacially shaped, W-E oriented inner Doesen valley. Doesen rock glacier ranges from 2339 m to 2900 m ASL. The latter value is taken from Doesener Spitz, which is the highest point of the surrounding mountains in the S, SE and E of the rock glacier from where the rock glacier is nourished by weathered material, which is of crystalline type, predominantly granitic gneiss. The frontal slope of the rock glacier is approx. 35-40° steep. The length of the whole permafrost body is about 1000 m, the width varies between 150 and 300 m. In 1993 Gerhard K. Lieb from the Institute of Geography and Regional Science of the University of Graz started a research initiative on mountain permafrost in Austria with a special geographical focus on the Eastern Austrian Alps. He compiled an inventory of some 1450 rock glaciers of the area of interest by means of geomorphological mapping. For more details see Lieb (1996) and Lieb (1998).

References (selected):

• Kaufmann, V. (1996): Der Dösener Blockgletscher - Studienkarten und Bewegungsmessungen. In: Beiträge zur Permafrostforschung in Österreich, Arbeiten aus dem Institut für Geographie, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Band 33, Seite 141-162.
  
  
• Lieb, G.K. (1996): Permafrost und Blockgletscher in den östlichen österreichischen Alpen. In: Beiträge zur Permafrostforschung in Österreich. Arbeiten aus dem Institut für Geographie der Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, 33, pp. 9-125.
  
  
• Lieb, G.K. (1996): Permafrost im Dösener Tal - das Arthur-von-Schmid-Haus als Stützpunkt für die Hochgebirgsforschung. Alpenverein Graz, Nachrichten 4, 10-11.

• Schmöller, R. and Fruhwirth, R. (1996): Komplexgeographische Untersuchungen auf dem Dösener Blockgletscher (Hohe Tauern, Österreich). In: Beiträge zur Permafrostforschung in Österreich. Arbeiten aus dem Institut für Geographie der Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, 33, pp. 165-190.

• Lieb, G.K. and Kaufmann, V. (1997): Investigations on permafrost in the Doesen Valley (Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria). Proceedings of the Workshop "Mountain Permafrost and Slope Stability in the Periglacial Belt of the Alps", 22-28 August 1997, St. Moritz-Bormio, p. 29-31.

• Kaufmann, V. (1997): Zur Morphometrie und Dynamik von Blockgletschern im Dösener Tal (Nationalpark Hohe Tauern, Kärnten). Abschlußbericht an den Kärntner Nationalparkfonds, Institut für Angewandte Geodäsie und Photogrammetrie, Technische Universität Graz, 61 Seiten mit 5 beigelegten Karten.

• Kaufmann, V. (1997): Geodätische Bewegungsmessungen 1997 am Dösener Blockgletscher (Nationalpark Hohe Tauern, Kärnten). Abschlußbericht an den Kärntner Nationalparkfonds, Institut für Angewandte Geodäsie, Technische Universität Graz, 60 Seiten mit zahlreichen Farbabbildungen. 

• Kaufmann, V. (1998): Geomorphometric monitoring of active rock glaciers in the Austrian Alps. Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on High Mountain Remote Sensing Cartographie (HMRSC-4), 19-29 August 1996, Karlstad, Research Report 97:3 Natural Sciences / Technology, The University of Karlstad, pp. 97-113. [ Paper ] 

• Kaufmann, V. (1998): Deformation analysis of the Doesen rock glacier (Austrian Alps, Europe). Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Permafrost, 23-27 June, 1998, Yellowknife, NWT, Canada, pp. 551-556. [ Abstract ] [ Paper ]
  
  
• Kaufmann, V. und Heiland, R. (1998): Zur Morphometrie des Dösener Blockgletschers (Nationalpark Hohe Tauern, Österreich). In: Kriz, K. (Hrsg.), Hochgebirgskartographie - Silvretta '98 - High Mountain Cartography, Wiener Schriften zur Geographie und Kartographie, Bd. 11, 102-114.
  

• Lieb, G.K. (1998): High-mountain permafrost in the Austrian Alps. In: Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Permafrost, Yellowknife, Canada, pp. 663-668. [ Paper ]
  

• Kenyi, L.W. and Kaufmann, V. (2000): Detection and quantification of rock glacier deformation using ERS D-InSAR data. ERS-Envisat Symposium "Looking down to Earth in the New Millennium", 16-20 October 2000, Gothenburg, Sweden, SP-461, ESA Publications Division, 7 pages. [ Abstract ] [ Paper ]
  
  
• Kenyi, L.W. and Kaufmann, V. (2001): Estimation of Alpine Permafrost Surface Deformation Using InSAR Data. Proceedings of the IEEE 2001 International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 9-13 July 2001, Sydney, Australia, CD-ROM, 3 pages. [Abstract] [ Paper ]
  
  
• Kaufmann, V. (2001): Quantitative Erfassung der Morphodynamik von Gletschern und Blockgletschern - Projekte und methodische Untersuchungen im Nationalpark Hohe Tauern. Proceedings "Symposion zur Forschung im Nationalpark Hohe Tauern", 15-17 November 2001, Burg Kaprun, Salzburg, Austria, p. 217-223. [ Abstract ] [ Paper ]
  
  
• Kaufmann, V. and Ladstädter, R. (2002): Monitoring of active rock glaciers by means of digital photogrammetry. Proceedings of the ISPRS Commission III Symposium "Photogrammetric Computer Vision", September 9-13, 2002, Graz, Austria, IAPRS, Vol. 34, Part 3B, pp. 108-111. [ Abstract ] [ Paper ]
  

• Kaufmann, V. and Ladstädter, R. (2003): Quantitative analysis of rock glacier creep by means of digital photogrammetry using multi-temporal aerial photographs: two case studies in the Austrian Alps. Permafrost. Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Permafrost, 21-25 July, Zurich, Switzerland,  A.A. Balkema Publishers, Vol.1, pp. 525-530. [ Abstract ] [ Paper ]

• Kenyi, L.W. and Kaufmann, V. (2003): Measuring rock glacier surface deformation using SAR interferometry. Permafrost. Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Permafrost, 21-25 July, Zurich, Switzerland,  A.A. Balkema Publishers, Vol.1, pp. 537-541. [ Abstract ] [ Paper ]
  
  
• Kenyi, L.W. and Kaufmann, V. (2003): Estimation of Rock Glacier Surface Deformation Using SAR Interferometry Data. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Vol. 41, No. 6, June 2003, 1512-1515. [ Abstract ]
  
  
• Kienast, G. and Kaufmann, V. (2004): Geodetic measurements on glaciers and rock glaciers in the Hohe Tauern National park (Austria). Proceedings of the 4th ICA Mountain Cartography Workshop, 30 September - 2 October 2004, Vall de Núria, Catalonia, Spain, Monografies tècniques 8, Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya, Barcelona, 101-108. [ Paper ]
  
  
• Kaufmann, V., Kenyi, L.W. and Avian,  M. (2005): Messung der Fließgeschwindigkeit von Gletschern mittels satellitengestützter Radar-Interferometrie in der Schobergruppe (Nationalpark Hohe Tauern, Kärnten). Endbericht zum Forschungsprojekt (Projektleiter V. Kaufmann) des Kärntner Nationalparkfonds, Institut für Fernerkundung und Photogrammetrie, TU Graz,  59 Seiten, mit zahlreichen Farbabbildungen und 2 Luftbildkarten. [ Contents ]
  

• Nutz, M. (2005): Lehr-, Lern- und Erlebnispfade zur Umweltbildung. Krämer Verlag, Hamburg, in German, 91 p.

• Lieb, G.K. (2006): Permafrost - Ein neuer Problembereich im Hochgebirge?. Mitteilungen des Österr. Alpenvereins, Bergauf 3, 14-16.
  

• Kaufmann, V., Ladstädter, R. and Kienast, G. (2007): 10 years of monitoring of the Doesen rock glacier (Ankogel group, Austria) - A review of the research activities for the time period 1995-2005. In: Petrovič, D. (ed.): Proceedings of 5th Mountain Cartography Workshop, 29 March - 1 April 2006, Bohinj, Slovenia, 129-144. [ Abstract ] [ Paper ]
  
  
• Kellerer-Pirklbauer, A., Lieb, G.K. and Kleinferchner, H. (2012): A new rock glacier inventory of the eastern European Alps. Austrian Journal of Earth Sciences 105(2), 78-93. [ Paper ]
  
  
• Kellerer-Pirklbauer, A. and Kaufmann, V. (2012): About the relationship between rock glacier velocity and climate parameters in central Austria. Austrian Journal of Earth Sciences 105(2), 94-112. [ Paper ]
  
  
• Kaufmann, V. and Kellerer-Pirklbauer, A. (2015): Active Rock Glaciers in a Changing Environment. Geomorphometric Quantification and Cartographic Presentation of Rock Glacier Surface Change with Examples from the Hohe Tauern Range, Austria. In: Kriz, K. (ed.): Mountain Cartography. 16 Years ICA Commission on Mountain Cartography (1999-2015). Wiener Schriften zur Geographie und Kartographie, 21, Institut für Geographie und Regionalforschung, Universität Wien, 179-190. ISBN 978-3-900830-86-1 [ Abstract ] [ Paper ]
  
  
• Kaufmann, V. (2016): 20 years of geodetic monitoring of Dösen rock glacier (Ankogel Group, Austria): A short review. Joannea - Geologie und Paläontologie, 12, 37-44. [ Paper ] [ Paper ]  [ presentation ppt pdf ]
  
  
• Lieb, G.K., Kellerer-Pirklbauer, A., Kaufmann, V. and Avian, M. (2016): The Graz permafrost monitoring network in the Hohe Tauern National Park (Austria). Joannea - Geologie und Paläontologie, 12, 9-16. [ Paper ] [ Paper ]


• Kellerer-Pirklbauer, A., Lieb, G.K. and Kaufmann, V. (2017): The Dösen Rock Glacier in Central Austria: A key site for multidisciplinary long-term rock glacier monitoring in the Eastern Alps. Austrian Journal of Earth Sciences, Vol. 110(2), xxx-xxx. [ doi.org/10.17738/ajes.2017.0013 ] [ Paper ] [ pdf ]
  
  
• Pellet, C., Bodin, X., Delaloye, R., Kaufmann, V., Noetzli, J., Thibert, E., and Kellerer-Pirklbauer, A. (2021): Rock glacier kinematics.  In: Blunden, J. and Boyer, T. (Eds.), (2021): State of the Climate in 2020, Bull. Amer. Meteor., 102 (8), S44-S45. [ https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-21-0098.1  ] [ Paper ]

• Keller-Pirklbauer, A., Lieb, G.K., Kaufmann, V. (2022): Rock Glaciers in the Austrian Alps: A General Overview with a Special Focus on Dösen Rock Glacier, Hohe Tauern Range. In: Embleton-Hamann, C. (ed.), Landscapes and Landforms of Austria, World Geomorphological Landscapes, Springer, Cham, Part II(27), 393-406. [ https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92815-5_27 ]
  

• Pellet, C., Bodin, X., Cusicanqui, D., Delaloye, R., Kääb, A., Kaufmann, V., Noetzli, J., Thibert, E., Vivero, S. and Kellerer-Pirklbauer, A. (2022): Rock glacier velocity. In: Blunden, J., and Boyer, T., (Eds.), (2022): State of the Climate in 2021. Supplement to the Bull. Amer. Meteor., 103 (8), Chapter 2: Global Climate, S43-S45. https://doi.org/10.1175/2022BAMSStateoftheClimate.1
  
  
• Pellet, C., Bodin, X., Cusicanqui, D., Delaloye, R., Kääb, A., Kaufmann, V., Noetzli, J., Thibert, E., Vivero, S. and Kellerer-Pirklbauer, A. (2023): Rock glacier velocity. In: Blunden, Boyer, T. and Bartow-Gillies (Eds.), (2023): State of the Climate in 2022, Supplement to the Bull. Amer. Meteor., 104 (9), S41-S42. https://doi.org/10.1175/2023BAMSStateoftheClimate.1 [ State of the Climate ] [ State of the Climate in 2022 ] [ Paper ]
  
  
• Pfeffer, H. (2023): Movement pattern analysis of the Dösen Rock Glacier, Hohe Tauern Range, Austria, using a multi-method approach. Master's thesis, Faculty of Environmental, Regional and Educational Sciences, University of Graz, 118 pages. [ Master's thesis ] [ pdf on request ]
  

• Hansche, I., Fischer, A., Greilinger, M., Hartl, L., Hartmeyer, I., Helfricht, K., Hynek, B., Jank, N., Kainz, M., Kaufmann, V., Kellerer-Pirklbauer, A., Lieb, G.K., Mayer, Ch., Neureiter, A., Prinz, R., Reingruber, K., Reisenhofer, S., Riedl, C., Seiser, B., Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Strudl, M., Zagel, B., Zechmeister, Th., Schöner, W. (2023): KryoMon.AT – Kryosphären Monitoring Österreich: 2021/22. Kryosphärenbericht Nr. 1., 204 S. https://doi.org/10.25364/402.2023.1
  
  
• Kellerer-Pirklbauer, A., Bodin, X., Delaloye, E., Lambiel, Ch., Gärtner-Roer, I., Bonnefoy-Demongeot, M., Carturan, L., Damm, B., Eulenstein, J., Fischer, A., Hartl, L., Ikeda, A., Kaufmann, V., Krainer, K., Matsuoka, N., Morra di Cella, U., Noetzle, J., Seppi, R., Scapozza, C., Schoeneich, P., Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Thibert, E. and Zumiani, T. (2024): Acceleration and interannual variability of creep rates in mountain permafrost landforms (rock glacier velocities) in the European Alps in 1995-2022. Environmental Research Letters, 19, 034022. DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/ad25a4, https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ad25a4
  
  
• Kellerer-Pirklbauer, A., Lieb, G.K., Kaufmann, V. (2024): Dem Permafrost der Alpen auf der Spur: Langzeitforschung (1993-2023) im Dösental, Kärnten. GeoGraz, 74, Permafrost 25 Jahre Österreich in der International Permafrost Association,  6-11. [ Paper ] [ pdf ] [ Book of Abstracts ]
  


• Pellet, C., Bodin, X., Cusicanqui, D., Delaloye, R., Kääb, A., Kaufmann, V., Thibert, E., Vivero, S. and Kellerer-Pirklbauer, A. (2024): Rock glacier velocity.  In: Blunden, J. and Boyer, T. (Eds.), (2024): State of the Climate in 2023, Supplement to the Bull. Amer. Meteor., 105(8), S44-S46. https://doi.org/10.1175/2024BAMSStateoftheClimate.1 [ State of the Climate ] [ State of the Climate in 2023 ] [ Paper ]
  
  
• Hu, Y., Arenson, L.U., Barboux, C., Bodin, X., Cicoira, A., Delaloye, R., Gärtner-Roer, I., Kääb, A., Kellerer-Pirklbauer, A., Lambiel, C., Liu, L., Pellet, C., Rouyet, L., Schoeneich, P., Seier, G. and Strozzi, T. (2025): Rock Glacier Velocity: An Essential Climate Variable Quantity for Permafrost. Reviews of Geophysics, 63(1). https://doi.org/10.1029/2024RG000847
  

For more information on the Dösen rock glacier kinematics, please see http://www.staff.tugraz.at/viktor.kaufmann/Doesen_Rock_Glacier/

Animation of the Dösen rock glacier movement, please see https://www.staff.tugraz.at/viktor.kaufmann/animations.html#Doesen_rock_glacier

last update: june 7, 2025

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