# Permafrost in the Pyrenees: the changing mountains

Marc Oliva, Josep Ventura, Julia Garcia-Oteyza, Claudia Perez, Oriol Monserrat, Pedro Espín-López, Laura Viñals, Juan Ignacio López Moreno, Anna Echeverria, Muriel Gasc-Barbier, et al.

► To cite this version:

Marc Oliva, Josep Ventura, Julia Garcia-Oteyza, Claudia Perez, Oriol Monserrat, et al. Permafrost in the Pyrenees: the changing mountains. International Mountain Conference, Sep 2025, Innsbruck, Austria. hal-05375084

HAL Id: hal-05375084

https://hal.science/hal-05375084v1

Submitted on 27 Nov 2025

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Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
**Abstract for #IMC25**

**Permafrost in the Pyrenees: the changing mountains**

**Oliva, Marc (1)**

Josep Ventura (1), Julia García-Oteyza (1), Claudia Pérez (1), Oriol Monserrat (2), Pedro Espín-López (2), Laura Viñals (3), Juan Ignacio López-Moreno (4), Anna Echeverria (5), Muriel Gasc-Barbier (6), Magali Delmas (7), Clementine Chedecal (7), David Palacios (8), Enrique Serrano (9), Marcelo Fernandes (10), Pere Esteban (11), Oriol Grau (12), Florence Magnin (13), Benjamin Lehmann (14), and Pierre Valla (14)

(1) Department of Geography, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, (2) Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya, Castelldefels, Catalonia, Spain, (3) Kilian Jornet Foundation, Montellà, Catalonia, Spain, (4) Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Campus de Aula Dei, Zaragoza, Spain, (5) Andorra Recerca+Innovació, Sant Julià de Lòria, Andorra, (6) GeoCoD, CEREMA, Aix-en-Provence, France, (7) CNRS, MNHN, HNHP, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France, (8) Department of Geography, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain, (9) Department of Geography, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain, (10) Centre for Geographical Studies-IGOT, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal, (11) Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, (12) Parc Natural de l'Alt Pirineu, Llavorsí, Catalonia, Spain, (13) Laboratoire EDYTE M, CNRS/Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, Le Bourget-du-Lac, France, (14) CNRS, IRD, IFSTTAR, ISTerre, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France

Correspondence to: Oliva, Marc, marcoliva@ub.edu, Universitat de Barcelona, Montalegre 6-8, 08001, Barcelona, Catalonia, ES

**Categories:** Cryo- & Hydrosphere

**Keywords:** Permaforst, Rock glaciers, Hazards

**How to cite:** Oliva, M., Ventura, J., García-Oteyza, J., Pérez, C., Monserrat, O., Espín-López, P., Viñals, L., López-Moreno, J. I., Echeverria, A., Gasc-Barbier, M., Delmas, M., Chedecal, C., Palacios, D., Serrano, E., Fernandes, M., Esteban, P., Grau, O., Magnin, F., Lehmann, B., and Valla, P.: Permafrost in the Pyrenees: the changing mountains, #IMC25 - International Mountain Conference 2025, Innsbruck, Austria, Sep 14 - 18 2025, #IMC25-3.8017, 2025.

*(i) The content was (partly) adapted by AI*

The cryosphere in the Pyrenees is undergoing profound transformations due to climate change, leading to significant hydrological, geo-
morphological, and environmental shifts. Rising temperatures have dramatically reduced snow cover and accelerated the retreat of
Pyrenean glaciers, which are expected to disappear entirely in the coming decades. While snow and ice dynamics are closely moni-
tored, much less is known about permafrost. The southern character of the Pyrenees makes this region particularly unique and signifi-
cant in permafrost studies, as it introduces specific challenges in understanding the behavior and vulnerability of permafrost to future
warming. Currently, permafrost is found only at the highest elevations, typically above 2,600 m, with rare occurrences between 2,350
and 2,400 m. Its recent behavior and vulnerability remain poorly understood, and studying permafrost is also essential for anticipating
hazards associated with its thaw, such as increased rockfalls, landslides, or moraine collapses. These risks have already impacted infras-
tructure, including trails in popular areas like Aneto and Vignemale. This communication presents preliminary findings from the ongoing
PERMAPYRENEES project (Interreg Poctefa EFA063/01), which utilizes advanced in-situ and remote sensing techniques to detect per-
mafrost and assess related hazards. The project's key components include: (i) Geophysical surveys to identify the presence of frozen
ground; (ii) Six deep boreholes in high-elevation areas to monitor subsurface conditions; (iii) Loggers in rock walls to track permafrost dy-
namics in steep bedrock; (iv) INSAR measurements to detect ground deformation rates; (v) Reconstruction of past permafrost environ-
ments, with a focus on rock glaciers; (vi) Analysis of rock properties to better understand permafrost behaviour; and (vii) Mapping per-
mafrost distribution and identifying potentially hazardous areas. Beyond establishing a pioneering observational network in the Pyre-
nees, the project also aims to raise public awareness of climate change impacts and provide policymakers, land managers, and plann-
ers with critical data to mitigate risks in areas with significant infrastructure.