The first study carried out here was on the interaction between cosmic ray particles and atomic nuclei in the atmosphere.

The research station and Sphinx laboratory are mainly dedicated to environmental science, which forms 62 percent of its work. Right from measuring air quality, to measuring components of the atmosphere, the station provides enormous scope to find the changes in environment at a high altitude spot.

Large-scale studies on atmospheric aerosols, water vapour and temperature are going on now. Other subjects of research at the station include meteorology, glaciology, medicine and astrophysics.

According to research done at Jungfraujoch, the surface of alpine glaciers in Europe has decreased by 50 percent between 1850 and 2000.

The scientists here have determined this by comparing photographs of the glaciers at various points of time.

Citing the example of Grosser Aletsch Glet glacier, at 22 km the longest in Europe, Fluckiger said there was a huge decrease in its elevation between 1856 and 2008.

'Once the glacier had a huge river of ice and now there is no ice formation any more,' he said, indicating two photographs of the glacier depicting its structure in 1856 and 2008.

Member countries of the foundation include Belgium, Germany, Britain, Austria and Switzerland.

(Maitreyee Boruah can be contacted at m.boruah@ians.in)

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