Publication

Contribution potential of glaciers to water availability under climate change conditions in Valais, Switzerland

2011
Student Projects

Abstract

Glaciers influence the runoff regime of the catchments they are located in due to accumulation on to the ice surface in winter and ablation in summer. In this study we estimate the contribution of seasonally delayed glacier melt water to total runoff for current and future climate conditions. We find that the influence of glaciers on total runoff in the highly glaciated catchment of the Rhone river in Valais, Switzerland is high under current climate condi- tions and that a considerable decrease can be expected until year 2085, where it becomes nearly negligible compared to seasonal precipitation fluctuations.

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/3ebdfb08-cbd3-4a16-8e6c-22982db02b47

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2011
Student Projects

Abstract

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/3ebdfb08-cbd3-4a16-8e6c-22982db02b47

About this result

Related concepts (32)

Water politics

Water politics, sometimes called hydropolitics, is politics affected by the availability of water and water resources, a necessity for all life forms and human development. Arun P. Elhance's definition of hydropolitics is "the systematic study of conflict and cooperation between states over water resources that transcend international borders". Mollinga, P. P. classifies water politics into four categories, "the everyday politics of water resources management", "the politics of water policy in the context of sovereign states", "inter-state hydropolitics" and "the global politics of water".

Ice sheet

In glaciology, an ice sheet, also known as a continental glacier, is a mass of glacial ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than . The only current ice sheets are in Antarctica and Greenland; during the Last Glacial Period at Last Glacial Maximum, the Laurentide Ice Sheet covered much of North America, the Weichselian ice sheet covered Northern Europe and the Patagonian Ice Sheet covered southern South America. Ice sheets are bigger than ice shelves or alpine glaciers.

Glacier

A glacier (USpronˈɡleɪʃər; UKˈɡlæsiər,_ˈgleɪsiər) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as crevasses and seracs, as it slowly flows and deforms under stresses induced by its weight. As it moves, it abrades rock and debris from its substrate to create landforms such as cirques, moraines, or fjords.

Related publications (1)

Contribution potential of glaciers to water availability under climate change conditions in Valais, Switzerland

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