Operators: GeoSphere Austria (Freisaalweg 16, 5020 Salzburg); Sonnblick Verein (Hohe Warte 38, 1190 Vienna)
Supporters: Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy; Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management; Austrian Academy of Sciences; Provinces of Salzburg and Carinthia; Environment Agency Austria; in-kind contributions of several universities
DEIMS-SDR Database: Sonnblick
Contact: Elke Ludewig
Sonnblick Observatory was founded in 1886, providing uninterrupted high mountain monitoring of the atmosphere and the cryosphere since 1886. Originally focused on meteorology and glaciology, the observatory broadened its research program to include monitoring of the environment in the 1980s. Today the Sonnblick research program (ENVISON) participates in several international environmental monitoring programs (e.g. Global Atmosphere Watch, World Glacier Monitoring Service), mostly related to the atmosphere and cryosphere, but with an emerging ecological focus, conering not only the summit of Sonnblick but also the mountain from its base at approx. 1500m to the top, with a dense network of environmental measurements. The Observatory can be reached by cable car, has room to accommodate small groups of scientists, and offers several platforms for scientific sensors and instruments. The surrounding region is easily accessible (taking mountain risks into account) and offers additional possibilities for accommodation at several mountain huts.
Current LTER-specific research foci are: Climate change, cryosphere change, stream flow ecology, CO2 gas metabolism of lichens. Data policy (free access for ENVISON partners and on request): Meteo data at WMO standards (observatory and field stations), radiation data at BSRN standard, UV ozone at NDACC standard, CO2 NOx aerosols at GAW standard, glacier data at WGMS standard, permafrost, snowcover physics and chemistry, river discharge, stream flow water temperature, lake temperature.
