Researchers place Zugspitze rockfall in permafrost zone
Tuesday 29th September 2026 on 05:45 in
Bavaria
Researchers say a major rockfall on the Zugspitze occurred in the mountain’s permafrost zone, according to BR. Drone and seismic data show that about 13,800 cubic metres of rock broke away from the north face on the Tyrolean side.
The collapse happened on Tuesday of the previous week in inaccessible terrain at an altitude of about 2,800 metres. The rockfall continued throughout the day and raised a dust cloud visible from a distance. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich’s Chair of Slope Movements investigated the event using seismic measurements and drone footage.
Rockfall dimensions and signs of ice
A further drone flight on Friday helped researchers measure the collapse. The scar is about 100 metres high and 40 metres wide, covering roughly 4,000 square metres on a slope of about 80 degrees.
The altitude corresponds to the local edge of the Zugspitze massif’s permafrost zone, where the ground remains permanently frozen. Ice can form in cracks in the rock, and changes in temperature can affect its stability as the ice thaws.
Researchers also found signs of frozen rock at the collapse site, including visible ice in the fracture zones. Infrared images showed that the scar is very cool. The temperature data are still being analysed, but the team considers the event a rockfall in the permafrost zone.
Monitoring planned
Measurements from the nearby Kammstollen tunnel, a few hundred metres away at roughly the same altitude, show a rock temperature of minus 0.7 degrees Celsius. Michael Krautblatter, who leads the university’s Chair of Slope Movements, said the heat from the summer heatwave was only now reaching depths of several metres, because it takes time to spread through the rock.
The research aims to clarify how the rockfall relates to temperatures inside the mountain, particularly how summer heat moves into deeper layers. A laser scanner is due to be installed soon to monitor a four-kilometre stretch of the Zugspitze’s north face and provide warning of further rockfalls. Researchers will also assess additional seismic readings, drone images and temperature data to track how the affected section develops.