Now that climate change has become one of the world’s major issues, we thought it appropriate to compile these articles to help raise awareness of the environmental impact that we have on the mountains. The continued development of ski resorts creates significant pressure on the mountains and it’s eco-system, and it is an undisputable fact that the glaciers are retreating. So if you want to know how you can help preserve the mountains for future generations, read on…
It has been well documented recently that following a cycle of hot summers and mild winters European glaciers are slowly retreating back up the mountain. Scientists often consider natural phenomenon such as glaciers to be amongst the best indicator of climate change so rapidily shrinking glaciers and glacial tongue retreats are good indicators of atmospheric warming conditions. Are we experiencing a predictable climate change? Or is the human activity in our planet impacting on our global climate? Who knows, present indicators could suggest both argurments but something is sure, our glaciers are disappearing and only time will reveal if they will disappear forever.
A glacier is a "continuously moving body of ice" that forms when the balance between its accumulation differs from that of its ablation. In real terms this means that a glacier will form where the accumulation of snow and ice inputs (‘accumulation’) are more significant to its melting and evaporating process outputs (‘ablation’). It is this continuous process that determines a glaciers size (thickness) and length. Other factors such as the reflectivity of the glaciers surface, the annual precipitation, humidity and wind speed will also affect a glaciers input and output balance.
As a glacier grows and moves it changes in appearance whilst simultaneously carrying with it gravel, rocks and large boulders. Together, these materials act as sandpaper slowly carving away at the surface below creating a defined path whilst widening the rock underneath. The rate and direction of movement for a glacier will largely be determined by the slope angle, ice thickness and ice temperature.
As our climate changes, so does the balance of these 'inputs' and 'outputs'. Sustained periods of warm temperatures in both the summer and winter seasons are currently affecting the thickness and advancement of the worlds glaciers. As global warming leads to insufficient snow falls (as wamer temperatures means it now falls as rain), glaciers that would normally grow are now finding that there is insufficient snow to replace the melt process.
Over the past few years, warmer summer and winter temperatures in the French and Swiss Alps have impacted on the length and duration of snowfall during the seasons. European ski resorts are the first places where the impacts of these initial climate changes are being seen. Several glacial ski resorts have reported that they are suffering from significant and serious glacial melting which has potentially been caused by these temperature variations experienced in recent years. Of these ski resorts: Tignes, Les 2 Alpes, Alpe d’Huez and Chamonix have all expressed varying amounts of glacier shrinkage however the visual evidence and impact in some mountain resorts is more evident than others. The once popular summer skiing destination of Alpe d'Huez, was not able to open it's glacier for summer skiing in 2006 as there was 'a real problem with the glacier disappearing'. Although the winter season of 2005/06 recorded good snow levels, there was not enough sufficient enough to stop the glacier retreating. Our news article printed in 2006 gives further information.
Glacier Shrinkage in the Alps
Scientist have been watching global warming, and 'mans effect on climate change for some years now. In discussing global climate change and its impact on the world’s glaciers scientists from the University of Zurich Switzerland recently argued that should current temperatures increase overall by between two and five degrees, the European Alps could worryingly see some 80 per cent of glacial cover being lost by the end of the 21st century. In addition to this, the World Environmental Day (June 5th, 2007) was attended by many leading climate experts who noted that snow falls levels were 1.3% down on previous decades. Scientists there warned that a rise in temperature of only one degree could raise the snowline in the Alps by 150metres which would have a serious impact on Europe’s low lying ski resorts.
Our news article gives further information.
In further examining glacial shrinkage we understand that in addition to the weather patterns, resort latitude and orientation also play key roles in glacial creation and stability. There are some European glaciers that have lost glacial mass at a faster rate than others and these additional contributing factors could be to blame. Swiss and Austrian resorts have noted a marked change in their glacier retreat since the early 1980s. Studies on this subject indicate that these glaciers have lost almost a fifth of their total area since 1985, this rate is seven times faster than the previous 123 years.
The Sarennes glacier is located in the Grandes Rousses massif in the Southern Alps. Over the past 20 years the glacier has been significant reduction in glacial mass with more than 20 metres of its glacier disappearing. In contrast to this, Tignes has similarly noted a reduction in its glacier mass on the Grand Mott, albeit though at a less dramatic rate. Didier Richard, a glacier specialist with the CEMAGREF in Grenoble (an agricultural and environmental engineering facility), commented recently that the Alpe d’Huez glacier will ’without doubt have disappeared by 2050!’ which is worrying for the environment and surrounding wildlife, but also for the resort’s tourism industry and water supplies. In 2006 Alpe d'Huez chose not open the glacier for summer skiing as it had done for many previous summers. This was not due to a lack of snow that winter, in fact, the snow record for the winter 2005/06 season had been pretty good for the Southern Alps. At the time, a spokesman for the resort commented that there was 'a real problem with the glacier disappearing'. Our news article gives further information.
Glacial shrinking is not without risks either. Frequently as glaciers retreat large glacial lakes will form behind them. Where these glacial lakes are held behind moraine dams there is always the potential that they the ice and pressure could cause the moraine to break creating widespread flooding in the valleys below. In the Himalayas for example, there has been many examples where glacial lakes pose a threat to local valley communities. Closer to home, in 1892 a lake that was fed from the Glacier de Tete Rousse burst its banks emptying 200,000 cubic metres of water into the town of St. Gervais, killing 200 people. Only recently, a large glacial lake measuring five hectares across and 25 metres deep formed due to summer melt at the back of the Glacier de Rochemelon (3218m) in the Savoie area of France. In this instance, current glacial experts were monitoring the situation and the lake was drained to avoid any risk to the local valley population. Phew!
Probably one of the most visual examples of 'Glacier Meltdown' is in Chamonix, France. Chamonix is home to some of the most well known glaciers namely, Mer de Glace (sea of ice), Glacier d'Argentière and the Glacier des Bossons. All are pretty spectacular pieces of scenery but statistical analysis of glaciers indicates that many European glaciers have been steadily receding since the early part of this century. Take for example the Glacier des Bossons. Long hot and dry summers during 1995 and the early 2000s saw 'glacier melt' accelerate significantly, loosing some twenty meters in length and volume. The summer of 2003 was the hottest European summer on record, with temperatures in Chamonix alone reaching nearly 40 degrees!
Glacier des Bossons in 1928
Glacier des Bossons in 1952
Glacier des Bossons in 1983
Glacier des Bossons in 1995
Whilst these images give cause for concern, the 1995 receding position of the glacier was actually comparable to that of 1952 where a natural period of glacial regression created a similar effect. Don't worry though, the Glacier des Bossons is not going anywhere fast. It is in fact possible that the Glacier des Bossons is currently in such a period of natural regression and it has yet to reach a balance point where it can commence its redevelopment. It is bizarre to think though that at the turn of the 20th century, religious processions were once organised to push back the Glacier des Bossons as it threatened the houses and farms in the village of Chamonix! Maybe the almighty forces that be finally started listening a century later?!
Further examples of 'Glacial meltdown'
During the summer of 2005, the Glacier d’Argentière in Chamonix, France; experienced a substantial sérac collapse on the tongue of the glacier. A large 200m section of ice broke away from the main body of the glacier and at the time, it was reported to be one of the largest collapses seen in the area. Experts then predicted that if the pattern of warm summers and dry winters continued, this tongue part of the glacier would disappear in around 20 years. Since 2005, the distance between this ‘tongued’ area and main body of the glacier has increased quite significantly.
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