Andorra Researchers Launch Phase 2 of Permapyrenees Permafrost Study in Grau Roig

Researchers from Andorra Recerca + Innovació (AR+I) have begun the second phase of the EU-funded Permapyrenees project at Clots de la Menera in the Grau Roig area.

The fieldwork, part of the Poctefa cross-border programme, focuses on permafrost—permanently frozen ground—in Andorra's high mountain regions. The goal is to determine if such conditions still exist through ongoing monitoring.

Teams carried out key activities on site, including retrieving data from underground thermometers installed last year, geophysical surveys to assess ground properties, drone photogrammetry, and collection of water samples for laboratory analysis.

These efforts will build extended data series to clarify subsurface thermal behaviour at the site, now a main natural laboratory for the project. Earlier work provided evidence consistent with permafrost presence.

Initial studies using geophysics, remote sensing, and drilling detected buried ice indicators and permafrost-like features. Borehole readings from the previous phase showed surface temperatures near 0°C and slightly negative values at depth, pointing to possible temperate permafrost. Confirmation requires further long-term records.

The research addresses gaps in Pyrenean cryosphere knowledge, beyond well-documented glacier retreat and snow loss. Permafrost extent and changes in southern sectors remain unclear.

Degradation could destabilise slopes in alpine zones, raising risks of landslides, ground movement, and threats to paths and facilities amid climate change.

Permapyrenees-2 continues until March 2029, applying advanced techniques across Pyrenean areas. The €1.76 million project, under the EU's Interreg Poctefa 2021-2027, involves partners including the University of Barcelona, Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE-CSIC), Cerema, Catalonia Telecommunications Technology Centre (CTTC), Kilian Jornet Foundation, and University of Perpignan Via Domitia.