Porewater pressure measurements in ice-bearing mountain permafrost

Continuous piezometric monitoring in a borehole within an ice-bearing rock glacier provide novel insights into mountain permafrost hydrology. To support the interpretation of the intricate field data, we conducted laboratory experiments using the same type of instruments as in the borehole under controlled conditions. Testing under different thermal and hydrological conditions allowed direct comparison of field and laboratory data. Based on these findings, we propose a semi-quantitative method to characterize distinct hydrological regimes within a rock glacier using a combination of piezometric, barometric and temperature data. This analytic approach can be used to evaluate whether piezometer data variations reflect water-based hydrological processes alone or whether they are influenced by factors related to phase change and the presence of ice. This approach contributes to improve the reliability of long-term hydrological monitoring in mountain permafrost environments with rapidly changing ice and water contents.