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

Authors

  • A. N. Laghari Department of Energy and Environment Engineering, Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Science and Technology, Nawabshah, Pakistan
  • G. D. Walasai Department of Mechanical Engineering, Quaid -e- Awam University of Engineering, Science and Technology, Nawabshah, Pakistan
  • A. R. Jatoi Department of Energy and Environment Engineering, Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Science and Technology, Nawabshah, Pakistan
  • D. K. Bangwar Civil Engineering Department, Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Science & Technology, Nawabshah, Pakistan
  • A. H. Shaikh Department of Mathematics, Quaid e Awam University of Engineering, Science, and Technology, Nawabshah, Pakistan
Volume: 8 | Issue: 4 | Pages: PP. 3234-3237 | August 2018 | https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.2169

Abstract

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.

Keywords:

climate change, European Alps, flow regime, impact assessment

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

IPCC, The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, 2007

A. Laghari, D. Vanham, W. Rauch, “To what extent does climate change result in a shift in Alpine hydrology? A case study in the Austrian Alps”, Hydrological Sciences Journal, Vol. 57, No. 1, pp. 103-117, 2012 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2011.637040

I. Auer, R. Bohm, A. Jurkovic, W. Lipa, A. Orlik, R. Potzmann, W. Schoner, M. Ungersbock, C. Matulla, K. Briffa, P. Jones, D. Efthymiadis, M. Brunetti, T. Nanni, M. Maugeri, L. Mercalli, O. Mestre, J.‐M. Moisselin, M. Begert, G. Muller‐Westermeier, V. Kveton, O. Bochnicek, P. Stastny, M. Lapin, S. Szalai, T. Szentimrey, T. Cegnar, M. Dolinar, M. Gajic‐Capka, K. Zaninovic, Z. Majstorovic, E. Nieplova, “HISTALP — Historical instrumental climatological surface time series of the Greater Alpine Region 1760–2003”, International Journal of Climatology, Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 17–46, 2007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1377

I. Auer, R. Bohm, A. Jurkovic, A. Orlik, R. Potzmann, W. Schoner, M. Ungersbock, M. Brunetti, T. Nanni, M. Maugeri, K. Briffa, P. Jones, D. Efthymiadis, O. Mestre, J.‐M. Moisselin, M. Begert, R. Brazdil, O. Bochnicek, T. Cegnar, M. Gajic‐Capka, K. Zaninovic, Z. Majstorovic, S. Szalai, T. Szentimrey, L. Mercalli, “A new instrumental precipitation dataset for the greater alpine region for the period 1800–2002”, International Journal of Climatology, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 139-166, 2005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1135

C. Schar, C. Frei, “Orographic precipitation and climate change”, in: Global Change and Mountain Regions, pp. 255-266, Springer, 2005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3508-X_26

J. Schmidli, C. Schmutz, C. Frei, H. Wanner, C. Schar, “Mesoscale precipitation variability in the region of the European Alps during the 20th century”, International Journal of Climatology,Vol. 22, No. 9, pp. 1049-1074, 2002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.769

W. Haeberli, Spuren des Hitzesommers 2003 im Eis der Alpen. Submission to the parliament of Switzerland, 2003 (in German)

L. K. Bogataj, “Effects of Climate Change to the Alps – Water Towers to Europe”, in: Adaptation of Water Management to Effects of Climate Change in the Danube River Basin, Conference Proceedings, Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs, 2007

F. Paul, A. Kaab, M. Maisch, T. Kellenberger, W. Haeberli, “Rapid disintegration of Alpine glaciers observed with satellite data”, Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 31, No. 21, 2004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2004GL020816

C. D. Schonwiese, J. Rapp, Climate trend atlas of Europe based on observations 1891–1990, Springer, 1997 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-8818-8

D. Gellens, “Trend and correlation analysis of k-day extreme precipitation over Belgium”, Theoretical and Applied Climatology, Vol. 66, No. 1-2, pp. 117–129, 2000 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s007040070037

C. Frei, C. Schar, “Detection probability of trends in rare events: theory and application to heavy precipitation in the Alpine region”, Journal of Climate, Vol. 14, No. 7, pp. 1568-1584, 2001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(2001)014<1568:DPOTIR>2.0.CO;2

R. Frauenfelder, M. Laustela, A. Kaab, “Relative age dating of Alpine rockglacier surfaces”, Zeitschrift fur Geomorphologie, Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 145–166, 2005

14. M. Huss, S. Sugiyama, A. Bauder, M. Funk “Retreat scenarios of Unteraargletscher, Switzerland, using a combined ice-flow mass-balance model”, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, Vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 422–431, 2007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1657/1523-0430(06-036)[HUSS]2.0.CO;2

W. Haeberli, M. Hoelzle, F. Paul, M. Zemp, “Integrated monitoring of mountain glaciers as key indicators of global climate change: the European Alps”, Annals of Glaciology, Vol. 46, pp. 150-160, 2007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3189/172756407782871512

M. Beniston, “Mountain Climates and Climatic Change: An Overview of Processes Focusing on the European Alps”, Pure Applied Geophysics, Vol. 162, No. 8-9, pp. 1587-1606, 2005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-005-2684-9

D. Vanham, W. Rauch, “Climate Change and its Influence on Mountain Snow Covers: Implication for Drinking Water in the European Alps”, International Journal of Climate Change: Impacts and Responses, Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 101-112, 2009 DOI: https://doi.org/10.18848/1835-7156/CGP/v01i04/37282

P. Y. Groisman, R. W. Knight, T. R. Karl, “Heavy precipitation and high streamflow in the contiguous United States: trends in the twentieth century”, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Vol. 82, No. 2, pp. 219–246, 2001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(2001)082<0219:HPAHSI>2.3.CO;2

P. C. D. Milly, R. T. Wetherald, K. A. Dunne, T. L. Delworth, “Increasing risk of great floods in a changing climate”, Nature, Vol. 415, pp. 514–517, 2002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/415514a

G. A. Meehl, T. Karl, D. R. Easterling, S. Changnon, R. Pielke Jr., D. Changnon, J. Evans, P. Ya. Groisman, T. R. Knutson, K. E. Kunkel, L. O. Mearns, C. Parmesan, R. Pulwarty, T. Root, R. T. Sylves, P. Whetton, F. Zwiers, “An introduction to trends in extreme weather and climate events: Observations, socioeconomic impacts, terrestrial ecological impacts, and model projections”, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Vol. 81, pp. 413–416, 2000 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(2000)081<0413:AITTIE>2.3.CO;2

P. D. Jones, P. A. Reid, “Assessing future changes in extreme precipitation over Britain using regional climate model integrations”, International Journal of Climatology, Vol. 21, pp. 1337–1356, 2001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.677

T. N. Palmer, J. Raisanen, “Quantifying the risk of extreme seasonal precipitation events in a changing climate”, Nature, Vol. 415, pp. 512–514, 2002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/415512a

K. M. Fleming, J. A. Dowdeswell, J. Oerlemans, “Modelling the mass balance of northwest Spitsbergen glaciers and responses to climate change”, Annals of Glaciology, Vol. 24, pp. 203-210, 1997 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0260305500012180

A. Beattie, The Alps: A cultural history, Oxford University Press, 2006

B. Chatre, G. Lanzinger, M. Macaluso, W. Mayrhofer, M. Morandini, M. Onida, B. Polajnar, “The Alps: People and Pressures in the Mountains, the Facts at a Glance”, in: Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention: Vademecum, Innsbruck, Austria, 2010

H. P. Liniger, R. Weingartner, R. Grosjean, M. Agenda, Mountains of the World: Water Towers for the 21st Century, Mountain Agenda c/o Institute of geography University of Berne, 1998.

R. Weingartner, D. Viviroli, B. Schadler, “Water resources in mountain regions: a methodological approach to assess the water balance in a highland-lowland-system”, Hydrological Processes, Vol. 21, pp. 578–585, 2007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.6268

ClimChAlp, Final report on Climate Change, Impacts and Adaptation Strategies in the Alpine Space, 2008

M. Beniston, F. Keller, B. Koffi, S. Goyette, “Estimates of snow accumulation and volume in the Swiss Alps under changing climatic conditions”, Theoretical and Applied Climatology, Vol. 76, No. 3-4, pp. 125-140, 2003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-003-0016-5

E. Martin, P. Etchevers, “Impact of climatic change on snow cover and snow hydrology in the French Alps”, in: Global Change and Mountain Regions (A State of Knowledge Overview), pp. 235-242, Springer, 2005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3508-X_24

M. Hantel, L. M. Hirtl-Wielke, “Sensitivity of Alpine snow cover to European temperature”, International Journal of Climatology, Vol. 27, No. 10, pp. 1265–1275, 2007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1472

B. Zierl, H. Bugmann, “Global change impacts on hydrological processes in Alpine catchments”, Water Resources Research, Vol. 41, No. 2, 2005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2004WR003447

R. Hock, P. Jansson, L. Braun, “Modelling the response of mountain glacier discharge to climate warming”, in: Global Change and Mountain Regions, pp. 243-252, Springer, 2005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3508-X_25

J. Andreasson, G. Lindstrom, G. Grahn, B. Johansson, “Runoff in Sweden – Mapping of Climate Change Impacts on Hydrology”, in: XXIII Nordic Hydrological Conference, Tallinn, Estonia, August, 2004

K. Jasper, P. Calanca, D. Gyalistras, J. Fuhrer, “Differential impacts of climate change on the hydrology of two alpine river basins”, Climate Research, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 113–129, 2004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/cr026113

T. P. Barnett, J. C. Adam, D. P. Lettenmaier, “Potential impacts of a warming climate on water availability in snow-dominated regions”, Nature, Vol. 438, No. 7066, pp. 303-309, 2005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04141

Downloads

How to Cite

[1]
A. N. Laghari, G. D. Walasai, A. R. Jatoi, D. K. Bangwar, and A. H. Shaikh, “Effects of Climate Change on Mountain Waters: A Case Study of European Alps”, Eng. Technol. Appl. Sci. Res., vol. 8, no. 4, pp. PP. 3234–3237, Aug. 2018.

Metrics

Abstract Views: 1055
PDF Downloads: 445

Metrics Information

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 3 > >>