Kay Helfricht

Mag. Kay Helfricht, PhD

T +43 512 507 49454
kay.helfricht(at)oeaw.ac.at

Key research areas

mountain hydrology, glacier mass and energy balance, snow cover distribution in Alpine catchments, remote sensing of the cryosphere, applied glaciology and geophysics, meteorology, climatology

Projects

Awards

Best Publication Award 2019 awarded by the ÖAW, Anniversary Fund of the City of Vienna for the Publikation "Calibrated Ice Thickness Estimate for All Glaciers in Austria" (Frontiers in Earth Science, April 2019, Vol. 7, Article 68)
First winner of the prize for meteorology of the Dr. Gottfried and Dr. Vera Weiss Science Foundation: "pluSnow - Using snow depth data to minimize the error in winter precipitation measurements" is the first project to win the 2015 prize, awarded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF to project leader Kay Helfricht
Werner-Kresser-Award 2014: Awarded by the Austrian Society of Hydrology (ÖGH) for excellent research in hydrology with focus on water management and water supply. Notification by Univ.-Prof. Günter Blöschl in November 2014, Award ceremony in 2015

Selected publications

2021

Wagner, T., Kainz, S., Helfricht, K., Fischer, A., Avian, M., Krainer, K., & Winkler, G. (2021). Assessment of liquid and solid water storage in rock glaciers versus glacier ice in the Austrian Alps. Science Of The Total Environment, 800, 149593. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149593
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Otto, J. -C., Helfricht, K., Prasicek, G., Binder, D., & Keuschnig, M. (2021). Testing the performance of ice thickness models to estimate the formation of potential future glacial lakes in Austria. Earth Surface Processes And Landforms, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5266
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Fischer, A., Felbauer, L., Janicke, A., Helfricht, K., Hoffmann, H., & Wild, E. -M. (2021). Glaciers, Climate and People: Holocene Transitions in the Stubai Valley. In U. Schickhoff, Singh, R., & Mal, S. (Eds.), Mountain Landscapes in Transition. (pp. 267-287). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70238-0_9
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Fischer, A., Schwaizer, G., Seiser, B., Helfricht, K., & Stocker-Waldhuber, M. (2021). High-resolution inventory to capture glacier disintegration in the Austrian Silvretta. The Cryosphere, 15, 4637–4654. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4637-2021
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Helfricht, K., Reingruber, K., & Fischer, A. (2021). Elevation zones Hallstätter Gletscher, Dachstein, Austria, 2019/2020. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.930119
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Hohensinner, S., Atzler, U., Fischer, A., Schwaizer, G., & Helfricht, K. (2021). Tracing the Long-Term Evolution of Land Cover in an Alpine Valley 1820–2015 in the Light of Climate, Glacier and Land Use Changes. Frontiers In Environmental Science, 9, 683397. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.683397
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Hartl, L., Helfricht, K., Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Seiser, B., & Fischer, A. (2021). Classifying disequilibrium of small mountain glaciers from patterns of surface elevation change distributions. Journal Of Glaciology, x, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.90
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Hartl, L., Helfricht, K., Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Seiser, B., & Fischer, A. (2021). Clustering patterns of volume change to classify glacier states and fates. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-9402
DOI RIS ENW BIB

2020

Helfricht, K., Fischer, A., Stocker-Waldhuber, M., & Seiser, B. (2020). Naturgefahren als Folge des rasanten Gletscherschwunds: Monitoring und Prozessstudien. (Disaster Competence Network Austria - DCNA, Ed.), Book of Abstracts.
RIS ENW BIB
Helfricht, K., & Olefs, M. (2020). Einfluss des Klimawandels auf die Schneebedeckung. In J. L. Lozán, Breckle, S. -W., Escher-Vetter, H., Graßl, H., Kasang, D., Paul, F., & Schickhoff, U. (Eds.), GEO Wissenschaftliche Auswertungen (Tran.), Hochgebirge im Wandel (pp. 181–187). Retrieved de https://www.klima-warnsignale.uni-hamburg.de/buchreihe/hochgebirge/
Website RIS ENW BIB

2019

Helfricht, K., Huss, M., Fischer, A., & Otto, J. C. (2019). Calibrated estimates of mean and maximum ice thickness for glaciers of the third Austrian Glacier Inventory (GI3). https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.898642
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Helfricht, K., Huss, M., Fischer, A., & Otto J.C.,. (2019). Spatial ice thickness distribution and glacier bed elevation for glaciers of the third Austrian Glacier Inventory (GI3). https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.898651
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Schöber, J., Klebelsberg, A., Schattan, P., Helfricht, K., & Fey, C. (2019). Automatic weather station data from Weisssee snow research site (2014-2018). https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.898217
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Helfricht, K., Reingruber, K., Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Hartl, L., & Fischer, A. (2019). Glacier mass balance Hallstätter Gletscher, Dachstein, Austria, 2017/2018. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.897924
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Helfricht, K., Reingruber, K., Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Hartl, L., & Fischer, A. (2019). Elevation zones Hallstätter Gletscher, Dachstein, Austria, 2017/2018. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.897929
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Blöschl, G., Bierkens, M. F. P., Chambel, A., & et al.,. (2019). Twenty-three Unsolved Problems in Hydrology (UPH) – a community perspective. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 64, 1141-1158. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2019.1620507
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Fey, C., Schattan, P., Helfricht, K., & Schöber, J. (2019). A compilation of multitemporal TLS snow depth distribution maps at the Weisssee snow research site (Kaunertal, Austria). Water Resources Research, 55, 5154-5164. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR024788
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Fischer, A., Helfricht, K., & Kuhn, M. (2019). Long-term records of glacier surface velocities in the Ötztal Alps (Austria). Earth System Science Data, 705-715. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-11-705-2019
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Helfricht, K., Fischer, A., Hartl, L., & Olefs, M. (2019). Die Vielfalt des Winters - Anpassungsmaßnahmenzwischen natürlicher Variabilität und anthropogenen Klimawandel. Fdsnow - Fachzeitschrift Für Den Skisport, 60-68.
RIS ENW BIB
Helfricht, K., Huss, M., Fischer, A., & Otto, J. -C. (2019). Calibrated Ice Thickness Estimate for All Glaciers in Austria. Frontiers In Earth Science, 7, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00068
DOI RIS ENW BIB

2018

Fey, C., Schattan, P., Helfricht, K., & Schöber, J. (2018). TLS snow distribution maps of the Weisssee snow research site (Kaunertal, Austria). https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.896843
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Helfricht, K., Hartl, L., Koch, R., Marty, C., & Olefs, M. (2018). Investigation performance and correlation of ground-based snow depth and precipitation measurements. (Montana State University Library, Ed.), International Snow Science Workshop Proceedings 2018. Retrieved de https://arc.lib.montana.edu/snow-science/objects/ISSW2018_P05.6.pdf
Website RIS ENW BIB
Hartl, L., Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Fischer, A., Reingruber, K., & Helfricht, K. (2018). Elevation zones Hallstätter Gletscher, Dachstein, Austria, 2015/2016, PANGAEA. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.886064
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Hartl, L., Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Fischer, A., Reingruber, K., & Helfricht, K. (2018). Glacier mass balance Hallstätter Gletscher, Dachstein, Austria, 2016/2017, PANGAEA. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.886086
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Helfricht, K., Hartl, L., Koch, R., Marty, C., & Olefs, M. (2018). Obtaining sub-daily new snow density from automated measurements in high mountain regions. Hydrology And Earth System Sciences, 22, 2655–2668. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2655-2018
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Otto, J. -C., Helfricht, K., Prasicek, G., Keuschnig, M., Buckel, J., & Kocher, M. (2018). Glacial lakes in Austria – current trends and future development. Geophysical Research Abstracts. Retrieved de https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2018/EGU2018-17009.pdf
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2017

Helfricht, K., Hartl, L., Koch, R., Marty, C., & Olefs, M. (2017). Obtaining sub-daily new snow density from automated measurements in high mountain regions. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2017-579
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Farinotti, D. (2017). How accurate are estimates of glacier ice thickness? Results from ITMIX, the Ice Thickness Models Intercomparison Experiment. The Cryosphere, 11, 949-970. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-949-2017
DOI RIS ENW BIB

2016

Fischer, A., Helfricht, K., & Stocker-Waldhuber, M. (2016). Local reduction of decadal glacier thickness loss through mass balance management in ski resorts. The Cryosphere, 2941-2952. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2941-2016
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Farinotti, D., Brinkerhoff, D., Clarke, G. K. C., Fürst, J. J., Frey, H., Gantayat, P., et al. (2016). How accurate are estimates of glacier ice thickness? Results from ITMIX, the Ice Thickness Models Intercomparison eXperiment. The Cryosphere Discussion, 999, 999. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2016-250
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Kay Helfricht, R. K. (2016). Potential and Challenges of an extensive operational use of high accuracy optical snow depth sensors to minimize solid precipitation undercatch. (Montana State University Library, Ed.).
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Hanzer, F., Helfricht, K., Marke, T., & Strasser, U. (2016). Multilevel spatiotemporal validation of snow/ice mass balance and runoff modeling in glacierized catchments. The Cryosphere, 10, 1859-1881. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1859-2016
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Kuhn, M., Helfricht, K., Ortner, M., Landmann, J., & Gurgiser, W. (2016). Liquid water storage in snow and ice in 86 Eastern Alpine basins and its changes from 1970–97 to 1998–2006. Annals Of Glaciology, 57, 11-18. https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2016.24
DOI RIS ENW BIB

2015

Helfricht, K., Lehning, M., Sailer, R., & Kuhn, M. (2015). Local extremes in the lidar-derived snow cover of alpine glaciers. Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 97, 721–736. https://doi.org/10.1111/geoa.12111
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Wijngaard, R. R., Helfricht, K., Schneeberger, K., Huttenlau, M., Schneider, K., & Bierkens, M. F. P. (2015). Hydrological response of the Ötztal glacierized catchments to climate change. Hydrology Research, 47, 979-995.
RIS ENW BIB
Hartl, L., Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Fischer, A., Reingruber, K., & Helfricht, K. (2015). Elevation zones Hallstätter Gletscher, Dachstein, Austria, 2013/2014. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.841720
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Hartl, L., Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Fischer, A., Reingruber, K., & Helfricht, K. (2015). Glacier mass balance Hallstätter Gletscher, Dachstein, Austria, 2013/2014. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.841719
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Fischer, A., Span, N., Kuhn, M. ; H., Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Seiser, B., Massimo, M., & Butschek, M. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) point measurements of ice thickness in Austria. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.849497
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Helfricht, K., Hanzer, F., Strasser, U., & Kuhn, M. (2015). Airborne laser scanning: a basis for hydrological studies in glacierized catchments, 47/48 (2013/2014), 121-134.
RIS ENW BIB
Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Helfricht, K., Hartl, L., & Fischer, A. (2015). Glacier Surface Mass Balance 2006–2014 on Mullwitzkees and Hallstätter Gletscher, Austria, 47/48 (2013/2014), 101-119.
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2014

Fischer, A., Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Reingruber, K., & Helfricht, K. (2014). Glacier mass balances and elevation zones of Hallstätter Gletscher, Dachstein, Austria, 2006/2007 to 2012/2013. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.806609
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Hartl, L., Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Fischer, F., Reingruber, K., & Helfricht, K. (2014). Elevation zones Hallstätter Gletscher, Dachstein, Austria, 2012/2013. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.833227
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Hartl, L., Stocker-Waldhuber, M., Fischer, F., Reingruber, K., & Helfricht, K. (2014). Glacier mass balance Hallstätter Gletscher, Dachstein, Austria, 2012/2013, PANGAEA. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.833221
DOI RIS ENW BIB
Helfricht, K. (2014). Untersuchungen der räumlichen und zeitlichen Variabilität der Schneemuster in Alpinen Einzugsgebieten mit luftgestützten Laserscanning. Ögm Bulletin, 32-33.
RIS ENW BIB
Helfricht, K., Schöber, J., Schneider, K., Sailer, R., & Kuhn, M. (2014). Interannual persistence of the seasonal snow cover in a glacierized catchment. Journal Of Glaciology, 60, 889-904.
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Helfricht, K. (2014). Analysis of the spatial and temporal variation of seasonal snow accumulation in Alpine catchments using airborne laser scanning.
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2013

2012

2011

2010

2006-2009

Curriculum vitae