scholarly journals Effects of Climate Change on Mountain Waters: A Case Study of European Alps

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 3234-3237
Author(s):  
A. N. Laghari ◽  
G. D. Walasai ◽  
A. R. Jatoi ◽  
D. K. Bangwar ◽  
A. H. Shaikh
Keyword(s):  
Water Cycle ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Warming Trend ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
European Alps ◽  
Precipitation Regime ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
The Alps

The Alps play a vital role in the water supply of the region through the rivers Danube, Rhine, Po and Rhone while they are crucial to the ecosystem. Over the past two centuries, we witnessed the temperature to increase by +2 degrees, which is approximately three times higher than the global average. Under this study, the Alps are analyzed using regional climatic models for possible projections in order to understand the climatic changes impact on the water cycle, particularly on runoff. The scenario is based on assumptions of future greenhouse gases emissions. The regional model results show the consistent warming trend in the last 30-year span: temperature in winter may increase by 3 to 4.5°C and summers by 4 to 5.5°C. The precipitation regime may also be altered: increasing about 10-50% in winter and decreasing about 30-60% in summer. The changes in the amount of precipitation are not uninformed. Differences are observed particularly between the North West and South East part of the Alps. Due to the projected changes in alpine rainfall and temperature patterns, the seasonality of alpine flow regime will also be altered: massive rise will occur in winter and a significant reduction in summer. The typical low flow period during winter will also be shifted to late summer and autumn.

scholarly journals Spatial and Seasonal Variation of O and H Isotopes in the Jiulong River, Southeast China

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kunhua Yang ◽  
Guilin Han ◽  
Man Liu ◽  
Xiaoqiang Li ◽  
Jinke Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Cycle ◽  
High Flow ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
Main Stream ◽  
Hydrological Process ◽  
Jiulong River ◽  
Southeast China ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Spatial And Seasonal Variation

The stable isotope technique of oxygen and hydrogen (δ18O and δ2H) and deuterium excess (d-excess) was used to investigate distribution characteristics in June 2017 and January 2018 in the Jiulong River, southeast China. The results revealed that (1) seasonal isotopic composition was mainly controlled by precipitation. It enriched lighter water isotopes in winter more than in summer because of the aggravating effect of low temperature and great rainfall. (2) Spatial distribution of the North, West, and South River showed increasing enrichment of heavy isotopes in that order. In the high-flow season, the continuous high-flow made δ18O and δ2H homogeneous, despite increasing weak evaporation along water-flow paths in the West and South River. In the low-flow season, there was a decreasing trend in the middle and lower reaches of the North and West main stream and an increasing trend in the South River. (3) O and H isotopic geochemistry exhibited natural and anthropogenic influence in hydrological process, such as heavy rainfall and cascade reservoirs. The results showed that O and H isotopes are indeed useful tracers of the water cycle.

Alpine Climate Change Derived From Instrumental Measurements

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuri Brugnara
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
European Alps ◽  
Alpine Valley ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
The North ◽  
Run Off ◽  
The Alps ◽  
Meteorological Observations

The European Alps have experienced remarkable climate changes since the beginning of the Industrial Age. In particular, mean air temperature in the region increased at a greater rate than global temperature, leading to the loss of nearly half of the glaciated area and to important changes in the ecosystems. Spanning 1,200 km in length, with peaks reaching over 4,000 meters above sea level (m asl), the Alps have a critical influence over the weather in most of Europe and separate the colder oceanic/continental climate in the north from the milder Mediterranean climate in the south. The climatic differences between the main slopes are reflected into different climate changes—whereas the northern slope got wetter, the southern slope got drier. The consequences of these climate changes are not confined to the Alpine region. Being located in the center of Europe, the Alps provide water and electricity for over 100 million people. Alpine run-off is a major contributor to the total discharge of several major European rivers such as the Rhine, the Rhône, the Po, and the Danube. Therefore, climate change in the Alps can have significant economic impacts on a continental scale. Their convenient geographical position allowed scientists to study the Alpine climate since the very beginning of the instrumental era. The first instrumental meteorological observations in an Alpine valley were taken as early as the mid-17th century, soon followed by measurements at higher elevations. Continuous records are available since the late 18th century, providing invaluable information on climate variability to modern-day researchers. Although there is overwhelming evidence of a dominant anthropogenic influence on the observed temperature increase, the causes of the changes that affected other variables have, in many cases, not been sufficiently investigated by the scientific community.

scholarly journals Palaeoflood activity and climate change over the last 1400 years recorded by lake sediments in the north-west European Alps

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Wilhelm ◽  
F. Arnaud ◽  
P. Sabatier ◽  
O. Magand ◽  
E. Chapron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Lake Sediments ◽  
European Alps ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
West European

scholarly journals Horizontal Precipitation Gradients in Alpine Valleys of Northwestern Slovenia

Dela ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 5-36
Author(s):  
Matej Ogrin ◽  
Erika Kozamernik
Keyword(s):  
Precipitation Regime ◽  
The North ◽  
Accuracy Of Measurements ◽  
Julian Alps ◽  
The Alps ◽  
Mountainous Landscapes ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Mountain Landscapes ◽  
North Western ◽  
Alpine Valleys

Mountain landscapes are the areas characteristic for a great spatial variability of precipitation amounts. On the windward sides of orographic barriers there is intense rising of air, and on the lee sides air descends. The intensity of the two processes is manifested in great differences in precipitation amounts at short distances. Although the network of precipitation stations is the densest in the Alps of all mountain regions in the world, precipitation regime at the micro level continues to be poorly known at many a place. Precipitation stations in mountainous landscapes are the most numerous in lower-lying and settled areas, whereas they are rather few in the high-lying areas. Also the accuracy of measurements is problematic in the mountains. As a result, the information on precipitation regime is inadequate right in the areas with the largest precipitation amounts. This means that the estimation of water balance is inadequate, and it is difficult to forecast the precipitation-related processes, such as torrential floods, landslides, avalanches, and the like. The present paper deals with horizontal precipitation gradients in the Alpine valleys of Planica, Krnica and the stream Beli potok which are all situated in the north-western part of the Slovenian section of the Julian Alps.

scholarly journals Interannual variability of winter precipitation in the European Alps: relations with the North Atlantic Oscillation

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 2045-2065 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Bartolini ◽  
P. Claps ◽  
P. D'Odorico
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mechanistic Explanation ◽  
Winter Precipitation ◽  
European Alps ◽  
Small Areas ◽  
The North ◽  
The Alps ◽  
The North Atlantic Oscillation

Abstract. The European Alps rely on winter precipitation for various needs in terms of hydropower and other water uses. Major European rivers originate from the Alps and rely on winter precipitation and the consequent spring snow melt for their summer base flows. Understanding the fluctuations in winter rainfall in this region is crucially important to the study of changes in hydrologic regime in streams and rivers, as well as to the management of their water resources. Despite the recognized relevance of winter precipitation to the water resources of the Alps and surrounding regions, the magnitude and mechanistic explanation of interannual precipitation variability in the Alpine region remain unclear and poorly investigated. Here we use gridded precipitation data from the CRU TS 1.2 to study the interannual variability of winter alpine precipitation. We found that the Alps are the region with the highest interannual variability in winter precipitation in Europe. This variability cannot be completely explained by large scale climate patterns such as the AO, NAO or the EA-WR, even though regions below and above the Alps demonstrate connections with these patterns. Significant trends were detected only in small areas within this region, and were of opposite sign between the eastern and western part of the Alps.

Statolith age validation and growth of Loligo plei (Cephalopoda: Loliginidae) in the north-west Gulf of Mexico during spring/summer

2002 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 677-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.D. Jackson ◽  
J.W. Forsythe
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Rapid Growth ◽  
Growth Analysis ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Age And Growth ◽  
Age Validation ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Loliginid Squid

Statolith validation and age and growth analysis was undertaken for the loliginid squid Loligo plei in the north-west Gulf of Mexico off Galveston, Texas. Statolith increments were shown to be laid down daily based on tetracycline staining of 19 individuals maintained in captivity. Ageing of field-captured individuals from late summer revealed that this species has rapid growth rates and a life span of about five months at least during the warm period of the year in this region of the Gulf of Mexico.

scholarly journals Identification of glacial meltwater runoff in a karstic environment and its implication for present and future water availability

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 3261-3277 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Finger ◽  
A. Hugentobler ◽  
M. Huss ◽  
A. Voinesco ◽  
H. Wernli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Availability ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Climate Scenario ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
Flow Paths ◽  
The North ◽  
Glacier Melt ◽  
Karstic Environment ◽  
Tracer Experiments

Abstract. Glaciers all over the world are expected to continue to retreat due to the global warming throughout the 21st century. Consequently, future seasonal water availability might become scarce once glacier areas have declined below a certain threshold affecting future water management strategies. Particular attention should be paid to glaciers located in a karstic environment, as parts of the meltwater can be drained by underlying karst systems, making it difficult to assess water availability. In this study tracer experiments, karst modeling and glacier melt modeling are combined in order to identify flow paths in a high alpine, glacierized, karstic environment (Glacier de la Plaine Morte, Switzerland) and to investigate current and predict future downstream water availability. Flow paths through the karst underground were determined with natural and fluorescent tracers. Subsequently, geologic information and the findings from tracer experiments were assembled in a karst model. Finally, glacier melt projections driven with a climate scenario were performed to discuss future water availability in the area surrounding the glacier. The results suggest that during late summer glacier meltwater is rapidly drained through well-developed channels at the glacier bottom to the north of the glacier, while during low flow season meltwater enters into the karst and is drained to the south. Climate change projections with the glacier melt model reveal that by the end of the century glacier melt will be significantly reduced in the summer, jeopardizing water availability in glacier-fed karst springs.

scholarly journals Maurice Lugeon 1870-1953

1954 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 164-173 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Border Zone ◽  
The South ◽  
North West ◽  
Home Town ◽  
North Shore ◽  
The North ◽  
Limestone Alps ◽  
The Alps ◽  
East End ◽  
Western Portion

Maurice Lugeon was born on 10 July 1870, at Poissy near Paris; but from 1876 onwards his home-town was Lausanne on the Swiss, that is the north, shore of the Lake of Geneva. Here he died on 23 October 1953 , after several months of illness. Lugeon has emphasized that two names, Chablais among places and Bertrand among persons, played a particularly important role in his life. Chablais is the district of France which faces Lausanne across the Lake of Geneva. Bertrand is the ever popular hero of French geology—Lugeon has styled him the ‘Confucius of tectonics’, that is of earth structure . Chablais is mainly occupied by the south-western portion of what geologists call the Prealps, or more specifically the Prealpes romandes. Geographically these Prealps furnish an ill-defined and local border-zone to the Alps as a whole. Running north-eastwards, they leave French territory near the east end of Lake Geneva to continue through Switzerland to the Lake of Thun. Their total length is 120 km, and maximum breadth 40 km. To the north-west the Swiss Plain spreads out before them, mostly well below 1000 m, whereas their own summits often reach above 2000 m, while those of the High Limestone Alps immediately to the south-east rise clad in snow to over 3000 m (Dent du Midi, Diablerets, Wildhorn, Wildstrubel).

scholarly journals Optimizing the bioenergy water footprint by selecting SRC willow canopy phenotypes: regional scenario simulations

2019 ◽  
Vol 124 (4) ◽  
pp. 531-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Richard ◽  
Goetz M Richter ◽  
Marianna Cerasuolo ◽  
Ian Shield
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
North West ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Recent Climate

Abstract Background and Aims Bioenergy is central for the future energy mix to mitigate climate change impacts; however, its intricate link with the water cycle calls for an evaluation of the carbon–water nexus in biomass production. The great challenge is to optimize trade-offs between carbon harvest and water use by choosing cultivars that combine low water use with high productivity. Methods Regional scenarios were simulated over a range of willow genotype × environment interactions for the major UK soil × climate variations with the process-based model LUCASS. Soil available water capacity (SAWC) ranged from 51 to 251 mm and weather represented the north-west (wet, cool), north-east (dry, cool), south-west (wet, warm) and south-east (dry, warm) of the UK. Scenario simulations were evaluated for small/open narrow-leaf (NL) versus large/closed broad-leaf (BL) willow canopy phenotypes using baseline (1965–89) and warmer recent (1990–2014) weather data. Key Results The low productivity under baseline climate in the north could be compensated by choosing BL cultivars (e.g. ‘Endurance’). Recent warmer climate increased average productivity by 0.5–2.5 t ha−1, especially in the north. The modern NL cultivar ‘Resolution’ had the smallest and most efficient water use. On marginal soils (SAWC <100 mm), yields remained below an economic threshold of 9 t ha−1 more frequently under baseline than recent climate. In the drought-prone south-east, ‘Endurance’ yielded less than ‘Resolution’, which consumed on average 17 mm year−1 less water. Assuming a planting area of 10 000 ha, in droughty years between 1.3 and 4.5 × 106 m3 of water could be saved, with a small yield penalty, for ‘Resolution’. Conclusions With an increase in air temperature and occasional water scarcities expected with climate change, high-yielding NL cultivars should be the preferred choice for sustainable use of marginal lands and reduced competition with agricultural food crops.

Last interglacial speleothem records from the western and southeastern side of the Alps

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Honiat ◽  
Christoph Spötl ◽  
Stéphane Jaillet ◽  
Paul Wilcox ◽  
Tanguy Racine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Isotope ◽  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Warming Trend ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
European Alps ◽  
Vegetation Density ◽  
Test Bed ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
The West ◽  
The Alps

&lt;p&gt;The Last Interglacial (LIG, ~130&amp;#8211;116 ka) was one of the warmest interglacials of the past 800,000 years. Although the orbital configuration was different, the LIG is a useful test bed for the future of the Holocene, because LIG archives have a higher preservation potential and can be dated at much higher precision than older interglacials, e.g. Marine Isotope Stage 11. Speleothems are among the most important terrestrial archives to study the climate of the LIG. Only few well-dated such studies, however, have been published for Europe and there are significant uncertainties regarding the timing of the onset and the magnitude of the peak warmth between some of these reconstructions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The European Alps have shown to be a climatically highly sensitive region with a warming trend twice the average of the Northern Hemisphere. We therefore examined Alpine caves and studied stalagmite records of the LIG to gain insights into how this mountain range was affected by a warmer climate than today. We present a new, replicated and precisely dated speleothem stable isotope stack from two caves in the Western Alps and two caves in the southeastern Alps. Modern and paleodata show that the O isotopic composition of meteoric precipitation is a function of the mean air temperature in most parts of the Alps. Western stalagmites record an initial warming at 129.6 &amp;#177; 0.4 ka and reach a first O isotope plateau at 129.0 &amp;#177; 0.4 ka. An early optimum is identified after the first warming until 127.4 &amp;#177; 0.5 ka, followed by a cooling until 126.6 &amp;#177; 0.5 ka. The warming continued but the growth rate slowed down from 126.2 &amp;#177;0.4 ka to 123.7 &amp;#177;0.8 ka. Toward the end of the record (123.7 &amp;#177;0.8 ka) the carbon isotopes slightly rise toward less negative values, possibly indicating climate cooling. The southeastern Alpine stalagmites started growing after Termination II (between 129.1&amp;#177;1.1 ka and 128.5&amp;#177;0.5 ka) and the oxygen isotope values slightly increase from 129 to 120 ka. At the onset of the LIG the carbon isotope values show a stepwise decrease as the oxygen isotope values become less negative, documenting the expansion of vegetation and the gradual soil development during the early part of the LIG. Vegetation and soil bioproductivity peaked around 126 ka in the west and at 125 ka in the southeast. Growth in the west was interrupted soon after 125 ka while in the southeast the carbon isotope signal stayed stable until 123 ka. The final decrease in vegetation density towards the end of the LIG was less synchronous among the southeastern speleothems and was characterized by abrupt shifts. Most stalagmites stopped growing after 119 ka when the carbon isotope values reached their highest values indicating a decrease in soil activity and/or vegetation density, possibly associated with deforestation.&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;

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