Zugspitze, Germany. Credits: Benjamin Jacobs, TUM (2025).
GTN-P at the DACH Permafrost conference 2026
Participants of the GTN-P workshop at the DACH Permafrost Conference 2026 (Credits: Julius Kunz).
The Permafrost D-A-CH Conference was originally established as an exchange platform for the German-speaking permafrost community in Germany (D), Austria (A), and Switzerland (CH). With the growing participation of international PhD students and researchers, the conference transitioned from German to English to foster greater inclusivity. Despite its international scope, the meeting has retained its close-knit, welcoming atmosphere – often described as a yearly “family reunion” – with GTN-P playing an important role within the community.
On the first day of the conference, a GTN-P workshop focused on the new GTN-P Data Platform. The international audience received a structured overview of the system and its main functionalities. Technical components such as the ID resolver and the API were introduced, followed by a live demonstration that also covered backend registration. The session addressed key aspects of data management, including the production of yearly data products, metadata requirements, data flagging, the treatment of null values, and the handling of errors during data upload. The discussion was lively and constructive, reflecting both strong interest in the platform and valuable feedback from the community.
On the last day of the conference, a keynote talk put the role of GTN-P in the permafrost community into a broader context. In addition to revisiting the historical development of the grassroots network, the presentation highlighted its close connections with various international partner organizations and GTN-P’s responsibility to deliver data for the permafrost Essential Climate Variable. With the new Data Platform now available, the keynote concluded with a call for active data contribution and strong engagement within the network, emphasizing that its continued success depends on sustained community involvement.
More information about the conference:
Permafrost DACH conference (21-24 January 2026, Seddin, Germany)