Turbulence over the Zugspitze

We use a decade of observations (2009–2019) to quantify long-term changes in near-surface turbulence on Germany’s highest peak, the Zugspitze at the Schneefernerhaus Environmental Research Station. The site is instrumented with five ultrasonic anemometers (Thies Clima, Göttingen), enabling multi-point measurements of the three-dimensional wind field and turbulence statistics. In early 2026, we will upgrade the setup with a new generation of sonic anemometers to improve temporal resolution and data quality.

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Beyond trend analysis, the Zugspitze measurements provide a natural laboratory for studying specific flow regimes and extreme events (e.g., strong-wind and stable/stratified conditions). We combine these field observations with controlled wind-tunnel experiments, using cross-comparisons and event-based analyses to link real-atmosphere turbulence to well-characterized laboratory flows.