Observing a changing cryosphere – from above.

I combine drone-borne ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and AI methods to make the impact of climate change on alpine snow and glaciers precisely measurable.

About

I'm a geoscientist specialising in drone-borne geophysics – ground-penetrating radar (GPR) – combined with AI methods to monitor the alpine cryosphere. Since my master's thesis I have been developing UAV-GPR techniques, first for snowpack analysis and today for large-scale mapping of glacier ice thickness.

As a Junior Scientist at GEORESEARCH and a doctoral researcher at the Technical University of Munich (Chair of Landslide Research, international doctorate programme M³OCCA), I combine fieldwork in high-mountain terrain with data analysis, scientific publishing, and research-funding acquisition – including leading my PhD project MELT.AI.

Education

  • Since Apr 2025
    PhD Candidate
    Technical University of Munich – Chair of Landslide Research (M³OCCA doctorate programme)
  • Feb 2021 – Sep 2023
    MA in Natural Hazards
    University of Innsbruck
  • Oct 2018 – Jan 2021
    BSc in Geography
    University of Innsbruck

Experience

  • Aug – Oct 2026 (planned)
    Visiting Researcher
    Université de Lausanne (UNIL), Switzerland – international research stay in cryosphere / glacier research
  • Since Jun 2024
    Junior Scientist – GEORESEARCH
    Puch bei Hallein, Austria – data acquisition & analysis, scientific publications, research-funding acquisition
  • Jul 2020 – May 2024
    Junior Researcher – LO.LA Peak Solutions
    Innsbruck, Austria – coordination of R&D projects, snow & avalanche research
  • Jul 2022
    Research Intern – NORCE Norwegian Research Centre
    Tromsø, Norway – Dept. of Earth Observation Systems, snow-radar data programming
  • 2017 – 2021
    Internships & Student Assistant
    GEORESEARCH (2021) · University of Graz, Dept. of Geography (2017–2019)

Keywords

Topics my research revolves around

  • Alpine cryosphere
  • Glaciers
  • Snowpack
  • Ground-penetrating radar (GPR)
  • UAVs / drones
  • Geophysics
  • Machine learning
  • Remote sensing
  • Glacier modelling
  • Glacier mass balance
  • Natural hazards
  • Avalanches

Awards & Grants

2026

FFG Leadership Programme INNOVATORINNEN

Selected for the 2026 cohort of the FFG's leadership and empowerment programme – a highly competitive Austria-wide honour recognising around 20 women each year in applied, industry-oriented research and innovation.

Oct 2023

Avalanche Divas Travel Grant

Awarded for an outstanding abstract submission and to support travel to ISSW 2023 in Bend, Oregon.

Oct 2022

DFK Award

Study sponsorship prize of the German Friendship Circle ("Deutscher Freundeskreis, DFK") of the Universities of Innsbruck, for an exceptional professional and personal track record and above-average academic achievement.

2018/19 · 2019/20 · 2020/21

Merit Scholarship – University of Innsbruck

Awarded three years in a row for outstanding academic success.

Scientific Community

Peer review

Reviewer for The Cryosphere, Cold Regions Science and Technology, Natural Hazards, and IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine.

Memberships

European Geosciences Union, International Glaciological Society, and geomorph.AT.

Teaching

Supervision of student theses at the Technical University of Munich.

Aerial view of an alpine glacier during a UAV survey
An alpine glacier from above — during a UAV survey flight (© R. Delleske, 2025).