The Jungfraujoch is the saddle between the two peaks Jungfrau and Mönch in the Bernese Alps, on the boundary between the cantons of Bern and Valais. It is at the upper end of the Aletsch Glacier, and part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch area.
Since 1912, the Jungfraujoch is accessible by the Jungfrau railways from Kleine Scheidegg, running partly underground in a tunnel through the Eiger and the Mönch. In 1894 the Swiss Federal Council made support of the research station a condition for the concession to the company to build a railway in the pristine alpine world.
The railway station Jungfraujoch, at an elevation of 3’454 meters asl is the highest in Europe.
The Research Station is on the south slope of the Jungfraujoch and is accessible by a short walk from the railway station Jungfraujoch through a tunnel.
The Sphinx building provides a viewing platform at an altitude of 3’572 meters asl. It can be reached by an elevator. The Sphinx building accommodates several research labs.
Site characteristics of the High Altitude Research Station:
- Latitude and longitude of the Sphinx laboratory: 7° 59′ 2″ E, 46° 32′ 53″ N
- Altitude of the research station: 3450 meters asl
- Altitudes Sphinx: 3571.8 meters asl (tourist terrace), 3578.3 meters asl (meteo terrace)
- Air pressure at Sphinx observatory (01.01.1933 – 31.12.2018): 614.6 hPa (26.02.1989) < p < 675.1 hPa (03.03.2015);
p ≈ 654.3 hPa
- Air temperature (2 m over ground, 01.01.1961 – 31.12.2018): -36.6°C (06.03.1971) < T < +12.8°C (19.08.2012);
T ≈ -7.3°C
- Peak gust speed at Sphinx observatory (01.09.1981 – 31.12.2018): 267 km/h (06.01.1998)