The influence of glaciers on runoff and the effect of changing glaciation
due to climate change are of high importance for the water availability in many
regions.
A glacier in equilibrium state with stable ice volumes results in a glacial runoff
regime with runoff maximums during the ablation period in summer. A shrinking
glacier causes increased melt water supply and enforces the glacial regime
(Lambrecht and Mayer 2009). Gradually shrinking glacier areas finally lead to
decreasing amounts of ice melt and therefore finally to a shift from glacial to nival
runoff regime with runoff maxima shifting from July and August to May and June
(Huss et al. 2008). How big these impacts are for the river runoff and the water
availability is highly dependent on the climate conditions. Melt water is most
important in climates which are both warm and dry and gets even more important
if the river flows into an arid area. In the mid latitudes of Central Europe, the share
of glacier melt to total runoff is only moderate because of the high additional
precipitation input (Kaser et al. 2010).
3.4 Conclusion
There is convincing evidence that increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere are causing a substantial rise in global temperature (IPCC 2007). As
integral component of the climate system, water is the primary medium through
which climate change exhibits its impacts on earth’s ecosystem. Increases in
temperature enhance the moisture holding capacity of the atmosphere and thus,
lead to an intensification of the hydrological cycle. The hydrological impacts of
climate change to the individual protected areas are area-specific and vary from
region to region. Generally, key changes in the hydrological system for Central
Europe include alterations in the seasonal distribution, magnitude and duration of
precipitation, an increase in evapotranspiration in areas where water is available
and a reduction of the snow season. This leads to variations in water storage and
water fluxes at the land surface as well as in soil moisture and seasonal snow
packs. Observations of central European glaciers, which are considered as key
indicator for the early detection of climate change, show a severe mass loss in the
last decades. Other indirect impacts of climate change include modifications in
the intra- and interannual variability of river flows and an increase in the risk of
flood and droughts. Through, water resources management can help to counterbalance effects of climate change on stream flow and water availability until a
certain level. In general, climate-induced changes are projected to aggravate the
impact of other stresses like land-use and socio-economic changes on water
availability (EEA 2008).
Open Access This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
Noncommercial License, which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in
any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.
3 Effects of Climate Change on the Hydrological Cycle in Central and Eastern Europe
41
due to climate change are of high importance for the water availability in many
regions.
A glacier in equilibrium state with stable ice volumes results in a glacial runoff
regime with runoff maximums during the ablation period in summer. A shrinking
glacier causes increased melt water supply and enforces the glacial regime
(Lambrecht and Mayer 2009). Gradually shrinking glacier areas finally lead to
decreasing amounts of ice melt and therefore finally to a shift from glacial to nival
runoff regime with runoff maxima shifting from July and August to May and June
(Huss et al. 2008). How big these impacts are for the river runoff and the water
availability is highly dependent on the climate conditions. Melt water is most
important in climates which are both warm and dry and gets even more important
if the river flows into an arid area. In the mid latitudes of Central Europe, the share
of glacier melt to total runoff is only moderate because of the high additional
precipitation input (Kaser et al. 2010).
3.4 Conclusion
There is convincing evidence that increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere are causing a substantial rise in global temperature (IPCC 2007). As
integral component of the climate system, water is the primary medium through
which climate change exhibits its impacts on earth’s ecosystem. Increases in
temperature enhance the moisture holding capacity of the atmosphere and thus,
lead to an intensification of the hydrological cycle. The hydrological impacts of
climate change to the individual protected areas are area-specific and vary from
region to region. Generally, key changes in the hydrological system for Central
Europe include alterations in the seasonal distribution, magnitude and duration of
precipitation, an increase in evapotranspiration in areas where water is available
and a reduction of the snow season. This leads to variations in water storage and
water fluxes at the land surface as well as in soil moisture and seasonal snow
packs. Observations of central European glaciers, which are considered as key
indicator for the early detection of climate change, show a severe mass loss in the
last decades. Other indirect impacts of climate change include modifications in
the intra- and interannual variability of river flows and an increase in the risk of
flood and droughts. Through, water resources management can help to counterbalance effects of climate change on stream flow and water availability until a
certain level. In general, climate-induced changes are projected to aggravate the
impact of other stresses like land-use and socio-economic changes on water
availability (EEA 2008).
Open Access This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
Noncommercial License, which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in
any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.
3 Effects of Climate Change on the Hydrological Cycle in Central and Eastern Europe
41