scholarly journals Implications of climate change on Glacier de la Plaine Morte, Switzerland

2013 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 227-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Huss ◽  
A. Voinesco ◽  
M. Hoelzle
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural Hazard ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
European Alps ◽  
Hazard Potential ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Mountainous Regions ◽  
Alpine Glaciers ◽  
Integrative View ◽  
Glacier Runoff

Abstract. Changes in Switzerland's climate are expected to have major impacts on glaciers, the hydrological regime and the natural hazard potential in mountainous regions. Glacier de la Plaine Morte is the largest plateau glacier in the European Alps and thus represents a particularly interesting site for studying rapid and far-reaching effects of atmospheric warming on Alpine glaciers. Based on detailed field observations combined with numerical modelling, the changes in total ice volume of Glacier de la Plaine Morte since the 1950s and the dynamics of present glacier mass loss are assessed. Future ice melt and changes in glacier runoff are computed using climate scenarios, and a possible increase in the natural hazard potential of glacier-dammed lakes around Plaine Morte over the next decades is discussed. This article provides an integrative view of the past, current and future retreat of an extraordinary Swiss glacier and emphasizes the implications of climate change on Alpine glaciers.

scholarly journals Upward shifts in elevation – a winning strategy for mountain viticulture in the context of climate change?

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 ◽  
pp. 02006
Author(s):  
Lukas Egarter Vigl ◽  
Arno Schmid ◽  
Franz Moser ◽  
Andrea Balotti ◽  
Erwin Gartner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Winning Strategy ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Pinot Noir ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
European Alps ◽  
New Production ◽  
Yield Data ◽  
Wine Production ◽  
Mountainous Regions

The advent of global climate change has major impacts upon viticultural production. Changes in the spatial limits of wine production are already being observed around the globe; vineyards are now viable at higher elevations and more polar latitudes. Climatic conditions are also threatening production in existing appellations. Therefore, sound management strategies are vital to maintain high-quality wines and varietal typicity, and to respond to changing market conditions. In mountainous regions such as the European Alps, new production areas at higher elevations are increasingly considered to be a promising solution. However, the suitability of viticulture in general, and even specific varieties of wine grapes, can change drastically across short distances in complex mountain terrain. Variations in temperature and radiation accumulation directly influence plant suitability, yield quantity, and quality. This paper shares initial findings from the REBECKA Project, a transnational research initiative designed to assess the impacts of climate change on mountain viticulture and wine quality in South Tyrol (Italy) and Carinthia (Austria). A three-part approach is utilized to better assess these dynamics: (1) historical crop yield data from local vineyards are assessed, (2) plant phenology stages and polyphenolic compounds of the Pinot Noir variety are analyzed along an elevation gradient and related to bioclimatic indices, and (3) a suitability map is developed that considers small-scale topographic and agro-environmental conditions. Taken together, these components contribute in clarifying many of the opportunities and threats facing high altitude viticulture in a changing world and provide new insights for sound decision-making in alpine vineyards.

Special Issue on Adaptation Measures for Disasters due to Climate Change

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 403-402
Author(s):  
Toshimitsu Komatsu
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Natural Hazard ◽  
Assistant Professor ◽  
Disaster Prevention ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Mountainous Regions

An increase in natural hazards due to global warming has broadened the gap between natural hazards and disaster prevention. This gap has raised the possibility that unexpected major disasters occur. As chances of a natural hazard grow, appropriate and efficient adaptation is considered as a last resort for lessening disaster. In water-related disasters such as floods and debris flows, individual disaster sites have specific thresholds (limits). When a natural hazard exceeds this threshold, a serious disaster strikes us. On the contrary when it is under the limit, disaster damage is kept to be small. Flood disasters and landslides have the side of gall or nothing.h This is a characteristic of water-related disasters. Climate change is causing natural hazards to exceed this threshold easily. This makes resilient proactive adaptation very important in disaster prevention. Specific adaptation measures developed hereafter must cope with serious water and sediment disasters throughout mountainous regions, rivers, urban areas, and coastal areas that are assumed to be influenced by global warming. The Journal of Disaster Research has planned a special issue on the adaptation measures for disasters due to climate change. Having taken part in field surveys, computer simulations, and laboratory experiments and finding adaptation measures worth studying more deeply, I decided to contribute to this special issue as a Guest Editor. All of its 11 papers have been peer-reviewed. The broad topics covered range from floods, landslides, and storm surges to adaptation to the human being society. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the contributors and reviewers involved in producing these articles, especially to Dr. Hideo Oshikawa, Assistant Professor of the Department of Urban and Environment Engineering, Kyushu University, Japan, for his great support. I look forward with great anticipation to feedback from readers regarding these articles.

scholarly journals Responses of various-sized alpine glaciers and runoff to climatic change

2003 ◽  
Vol 49 (164) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Baisheng ◽  
Ding Yongjian ◽  
Liu Fengjing ◽  
Liu Caohai
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climatic Change ◽  
Flow Model ◽  
Tien Shan ◽  
Ice Flow ◽  
Alpine Glaciers ◽  
Glacier Runoff ◽  
Glacial Runoff ◽  
Glacier Ice ◽  
Tien Shan Mountains

AbstractThis paper presents a glacier ice-flow model that simulates changes to alpine glaciers of various sizes and their runoff response to climate change in the Yili river basin in the Tien Shan mountains, northwestern China. It is suggested that the sensitivity of glaciers to climatic change is determined by glacier size. The change in glacial runoff does not keep pace with climatic change. As climate warms and glaciers retreat, the glacier runoff tends to increase and then decrease. The runoff peak and its timing depend not only on glacier size but also on the rate of air-temperature rise.

scholarly journals A changing hydrological regime: Trends in magnitude and timing of glacier ice melt and glacier runoff in a high latitude coastal watershed

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Young ◽  
Erin Christine Pettit ◽  
Anthony A. Arendt ◽  
Eran Hood ◽  
Glen Liston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Latitude ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Coastal Watershed ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Glacier Runoff ◽  
Glacier Ice

A changing hydrological regime: Trends in magnitude and timing of glacier ice melt and glacier runoff in a high latitude coastal watershed

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Young ◽  
Erin Christine Pettit ◽  
Anthony A. Arendt ◽  
Eran Hood ◽  
Glen Liston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Latitude ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Coastal Watershed ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Glacier Runoff ◽  
Glacier Ice

scholarly journals Effect of changes in climate variables on hydrological regime of Chenab basin, western Himalaya

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Grover ◽  
Shresth Tayal ◽  
Richa Sharma ◽  
Stein Beldring
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
River Discharge ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Western Himalaya ◽  
Discharge Pattern ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Rcp 8.5 ◽  
Basin Water ◽  
Seasonal Discharge ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In high altitude, scarcely gauged basins, climate change impact assessment on river discharge is important for sustainable management of water resources. These basins are sources for irrigation, hydropower generation in the region. Expected changes in precipitation and temperature can affect the basin's hydrological regime which will have consequential impacts on the dependent sectors. For quantifying the impacts of major climatic variables on hydrological processes, this paper examined bias-corrected GCM outputs coupled with a hydrological model – HBV for Chenab basin. Trend analysis shows that precipitation would decrease after the short-term period and temperature is expected to increase throughout the century. Simulated river discharge is expected to increase throughout the 21st century under both RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios. It is also observed that there would be a shift in seasonal discharge pattern with increased pre- and post-monsoon contributions. Increase in snow and ice melt contribution to the overall discharge is also expected and would range between 50 and 59% until 2100. This study concluded that expected increase in discharge volume coupled with shift in seasonal discharge pattern would impact the basin water management and thus it is important to consider the impact of climate change on hydrological regime of basins.

Vulnerability of Norway spruce to climate change in mountain forests of the European Alps

2014 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Hartl-Meier ◽  
C Zang ◽  
C Dittmar ◽  
J Esper ◽  
A Göttlein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Norway Spruce ◽  
European Alps ◽  
Mountain Forests

Monitoring the temporal development of natural hazard risks as a basis indicator for climate change adaptation

2011 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 1045-1058 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Zischg ◽  
S. Schober ◽  
N. Sereinig ◽  
M. Rauter ◽  
C. Seymann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Natural Hazard ◽  
Temporal Development

scholarly journals Evaluation of uncertainties in mean and extreme precipitation under climate change for northwestern Mediterranean watersheds from high-resolution Med and Euro-CORDEX ensembles

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 673-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoine Colmet-Daage ◽  
Emilia Sanchez-Gomez ◽  
Sophie Ricci ◽  
Cécile Llovel ◽  
Valérie Borrell Estupina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Extreme Precipitation ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Regional Climate Models ◽  
Historical Period ◽  
Mountainous Regions ◽  
Extreme Precipitation Events ◽  
Precipitation Events

Abstract. The climate change impact on mean and extreme precipitation events in the northern Mediterranean region is assessed using high-resolution EuroCORDEX and MedCORDEX simulations. The focus is made on three regions, Lez and Aude located in France, and Muga located in northeastern Spain, and eight pairs of global and regional climate models are analyzed with respect to the SAFRAN product. First the model skills are evaluated in terms of bias for the precipitation annual cycle over historical period. Then future changes in extreme precipitation, under two emission scenarios, are estimated through the computation of past/future change coefficients of quantile-ranked model precipitation outputs. Over the 1981–2010 period, the cumulative precipitation is overestimated for most models over the mountainous regions and underestimated over the coastal regions in autumn and higher-order quantile. The ensemble mean and the spread for future period remain unchanged under RCP4.5 scenario and decrease under RCP8.5 scenario. Extreme precipitation events are intensified over the three catchments with a smaller ensemble spread under RCP8.5 revealing more evident changes, especially in the later part of the 21st century.

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