Journal article

The European mountain cryosphere: a review of its current state, trends, and future challenges

  • Beniston, Martin Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland - Department of Physics, University of Geneva, Switzerland
  • Farinotti, Daniel Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW), ETH Zurich, Switzerland - Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
  • Stoffel, Markus Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland - Department of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland - Department F-A Forel for Aquatic and Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland
  • Andreassen, Liss M. Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, Oslo, Norway
  • Coppola, Erika Abdus Salaam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy
  • Eckert, Nicolas Institut National de Recherche sur les Technologies pour l'Environnement et l'Agriculture (IRSTEA), Saint Martin d'Hères, France
  • Fantini, Adriano Abdus Salaam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy
  • Giacona, Florie Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland - Institut National de Recherche sur les Technologies pour l'Environnement et l'Agriculture (IRSTEA), Saint Martin d'Hères, France
  • Hauck, Christian University of Fribourg, Department of Geosciences, Fribourg, Switzerland
  • Huss, Matthias University of Fribourg, Department of Geosciences, Fribourg, Switzerland
  • Huwald, Hendrik École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory for Cryospheric Sciences, Lausanne, Switzerland
  • Lehning, Michael École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory for Cryospheric Sciences, Lausanne, Switzerland - Swiss Federal Institute for Avalanche Research (SLF), Davos, Switzerland
  • López-Moreno, Juan I. Institute for Pyrenean Ecology (IPE-CSIC), Zaragoza, Spain
  • Magnusson, Jan Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, Oslo, Norway
  • Marty, Christoph Swiss Federal Institute for Avalanche Research (SLF), Davos, Switzerland
  • Morán-Tejéda, Enrique University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
  • Morin, Samuel Météo France, Centre d'Études de la Neige, Saint Martin d'Hères, France
  • Naaim, Mohamed Institut National de Recherche sur les Technologies pour l'Environnement et l'Agriculture (IRSTEA), Saint Martin d'Hères, France
  • Provenzale, Antonello CNR, Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Pisa, Italy
  • Rabatel, Antoine Univertisé Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, IRD, G-INP, IGE (UMR 5001), Grenoble, France
  • Six, Delphine Univertisé Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, IRD, G-INP, IGE (UMR 5001), Grenoble, France
  • Stötter, Johann University of Innsbruck, Institute of Geography, Innsbruck, Austria
  • Strasser, Ulrich University of Innsbruck, Institute of Geography, Innsbruck, Austria
  • Terzago, Silvia CNR, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC-CNR), Turin, Italy
  • Vincent, Christian Univertisé Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, IRD, G-INP, IGE (UMR 5001), Grenoble, France
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    01.03.2018
Published in:
  • The Cryosphere. - 2018, vol. 12, no. 2, p. 759–794
English The mountain cryosphere of mainland Europe is recognized to have important impacts on a range of environmental processes. In this paper, we provide an overview on the current knowledge on snow, glacier, and permafrost processes, as well as their past, current, and future evolution. We additionally provide an assessment of current cryosphere research in Europe and point to the different domains requiring further research. Emphasis is given to our understanding of climate–cryosphere interactions, cryosphere controls on physical and biological mountain systems, and related impacts. By the end of the century, Europe's mountain cryosphere will have changed to an extent that will impact the landscape, the hydrological regimes, the water resources, and the infrastructure. The impacts will not remain confined to the mountain area but also affect the downstream lowlands, entailing a wide range of socioeconomical consequences. European mountains will have a completely different visual appearance, in which low- and mid-range-altitude glaciers will have disappeared and even large valley glaciers will have experienced significant retreat and mass loss. Due to increased air temperatures and related shifts from solid to liquid precipitation, seasonal snow lines will be found at much higher altitudes, and the snow season will be much shorter than today. These changes in snow and ice melt will cause a shift in the timing of discharge maxima, as well as a transition of runoff regimes from glacial to nival and from nival to pluvial. This will entail significant impacts on the seasonality of high-altitude water availability, with consequences for water storage and management in reservoirs for drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower production. Whereas an upward shift of the tree line and expansion of vegetation can be expected into current periglacial areas, the disappearance of permafrost at lower altitudes and its warming at higher elevations will likely result in mass movements and process chains beyond historical experience. Future cryospheric research has the responsibility not only to foster awareness of these expected changes and to develop targeted strategies to precisely quantify their magnitude and rate of occurrence but also to help in the development of approaches to adapt to these changes and to mitigate their consequences. Major joint efforts are required in the domain of cryospheric monitoring, which will require coordination in terms of data availability and quality. In particular, we recognize the quantification of high-altitude precipitation as a key source of uncertainty in projections of future changes. Improvements in numerical modeling and a better understanding of process chains affecting high-altitude mass movements are the two further fields that – in our view – future cryospheric research should focus on.
Faculty
Faculté des sciences et de médecine
Department
Département de Géosciences
Language
  • English
Classification
Geology
License
License undefined
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://folia.unifr.ch/unifr/documents/306542
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