Local reduction of decadal glacier thickness loss through mass balance management in ski resorts
For Austrian glacier ski resorts, established in the 1970s and 1980s during a period of glacier advance, negative mass balances with resulting glacier area loss and decrease in surface elevation present an operational challenge. Glacier cover, snow farming, and technical snow production were introdu...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2016-11-01
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| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | http://www.the-cryosphere.net/10/2941/2016/tc-10-2941-2016.pdf |
| _version_ | 1831631622189875200 |
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| author | A. Fischer K. Helfricht M. Stocker-Waldhuber |
| author_facet | A. Fischer K. Helfricht M. Stocker-Waldhuber |
| author_sort | A. Fischer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | For Austrian glacier ski resorts, established in the 1970s and 1980s during a
period of glacier advance, negative mass balances with resulting glacier area
loss and decrease in surface elevation present an operational challenge.
Glacier cover, snow farming, and technical snow production were introduced as
adaptation measures based on studies on the effect of these measures on
energy and mass balance. After a decade of the application of the various
measures, we studied the transition from the proven short-term effects of the
measures on mass balance to long-term effects on elevation changes. Based on
lidar digital elevation models and differential GPS measurements, decadal
surface elevation changes in 15 locations with mass balance management were
compared to those without measures (apart from piste grooming) in five
Tyrolean ski resorts on seven glaciers. The comparison of surface elevation
changes presents clear local differences in mass change, and it shows the
potential to retain local ice thickness over 1 decade. Locally up to
21.1 m ± 0.4 m of ice thickness was preserved on mass balance managed
areas compared to non-maintained areas over a period of 9 years. In this
period, mean annual thickness loss in 15 of the mass balance managed profiles
is 0.54 ± 0.04 m yr<sup>−1</sup> lower
(−0.23 ± 0.04 m yr<sup>−1</sup>on average) than in the respective
reference areas (−0.78 ± 0.04 m yr<sup>−1</sup>).
<br><br>
At two of these profiles the surface elevation was preserved altogether,
which is promising for a sustainable maintenance of the infrastructure at
glacier ski resorts. In general the results demonstrate the high potential
of the combination of mass balance management by snow production and glacier
cover, not only in the short term but also for multi-year application to
maintain the skiing infrastructure. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T05:03:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ad3e71df157a42fda1759e46253a8ce7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T05:03:10Z |
| publishDate | 2016-11-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Cryosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-ad3e71df157a42fda1759e46253a8ce72022-12-21T20:35:01ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe Cryosphere1994-04161994-04242016-11-011062941295210.5194/tc-10-2941-2016Local reduction of decadal glacier thickness loss through mass balance management in ski resortsA. Fischer0K. Helfricht1M. Stocker-Waldhuber2Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Innsbruck, 6020, AustriaInstitute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Innsbruck, 6020, AustriaInstitute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Innsbruck, 6020, AustriaFor Austrian glacier ski resorts, established in the 1970s and 1980s during a period of glacier advance, negative mass balances with resulting glacier area loss and decrease in surface elevation present an operational challenge. Glacier cover, snow farming, and technical snow production were introduced as adaptation measures based on studies on the effect of these measures on energy and mass balance. After a decade of the application of the various measures, we studied the transition from the proven short-term effects of the measures on mass balance to long-term effects on elevation changes. Based on lidar digital elevation models and differential GPS measurements, decadal surface elevation changes in 15 locations with mass balance management were compared to those without measures (apart from piste grooming) in five Tyrolean ski resorts on seven glaciers. The comparison of surface elevation changes presents clear local differences in mass change, and it shows the potential to retain local ice thickness over 1 decade. Locally up to 21.1 m ± 0.4 m of ice thickness was preserved on mass balance managed areas compared to non-maintained areas over a period of 9 years. In this period, mean annual thickness loss in 15 of the mass balance managed profiles is 0.54 ± 0.04 m yr<sup>−1</sup> lower (−0.23 ± 0.04 m yr<sup>−1</sup>on average) than in the respective reference areas (−0.78 ± 0.04 m yr<sup>−1</sup>). <br><br> At two of these profiles the surface elevation was preserved altogether, which is promising for a sustainable maintenance of the infrastructure at glacier ski resorts. In general the results demonstrate the high potential of the combination of mass balance management by snow production and glacier cover, not only in the short term but also for multi-year application to maintain the skiing infrastructure.http://www.the-cryosphere.net/10/2941/2016/tc-10-2941-2016.pdf |
| spellingShingle | A. Fischer K. Helfricht M. Stocker-Waldhuber Local reduction of decadal glacier thickness loss through mass balance management in ski resorts The Cryosphere |
| title | Local reduction of decadal glacier thickness loss through mass balance management in ski resorts |
| title_full | Local reduction of decadal glacier thickness loss through mass balance management in ski resorts |
| title_fullStr | Local reduction of decadal glacier thickness loss through mass balance management in ski resorts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Local reduction of decadal glacier thickness loss through mass balance management in ski resorts |
| title_short | Local reduction of decadal glacier thickness loss through mass balance management in ski resorts |
| title_sort | local reduction of decadal glacier thickness loss through mass balance management in ski resorts |
| url | http://www.the-cryosphere.net/10/2941/2016/tc-10-2941-2016.pdf |
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