SwissGlaciers.org: Questions and answers
Answers to questions that have been put to us. The answers will be published here if they might be of general interest.
What happens when the glaciers retreat (flora & fauna)?
When glaciers melt, the glacier foreland becomes larger and larger.
The disappearing ice is followed a little later by life. First algae, moss and pioneer plants. Some of the pioneer plants are only a few cm high and inconspicuous.
After a few years, the pioneer plants get company from more demanding plants (flower [cushion> and first dwarf shrubs), wild bees, wasps, birds, etc.
During this phase, the glacier forelands are very beautiful to look at. This is especially true in midsummer, when most of the flowers are in bloom.
Flora and fauna in the glacier foreland after approx. 10 years.
After about 15 - 20 years, alders and the first trees take over. The landscape becomes greener as a result.
If a glacier disappears completely, the steady supply of water to the glacier forefield also dries up. It is difficult for us to estimate the effects this will have.
It is likely that in such a case other plants will establish themselves in the glacier foreland. We consider it rather unlikely that the glacier foreland will become a lifeless area.
Due to global warming, the vegetation line (incl. forest line) will continuously shift upwards. Insects and other creatures will follow the plants to higher altitudes.
The losers will probably be the plants and animals, which will no longer be able to move upwards.
Example fauna: Rock ptarmigan
Example Flora: Eritrichium nanum
What happens when the glaciers retreat (hydropower)?
Glaciers store fresh water. As the glaciers melt, water is released, which in an initial phase leads to an increase in the production of electricity. As the glaciers become smaller and smaller or disappear completely, this additional amount of water decreases or disappears altogether. This has an impact on future electricity production.
What happens when the glaciers retreat (Landscape 1)?
Glacial ice supports mountain flanks. Permafrost holds brittle rocks together.
When the glacier ice melts, the supporting effect of the ice falls away. Landslides, landslides and/or debris flows can be the result.
Example: Landslide on the Moosflue above the Large Alteschgletscher.
When permafrost thaws, mountain flanks become unstable. Landslides, landslides and/or debris flows can be the result.
Examples:
- Spreitgrabe near Guttannen
- Spitze Stei above Kandersteg
What happens when the glaciers retreat (Landscape 2)?
When glaciers retreat, new lakes can form. Scientists currently believe that around 600 new mountain lakes will be created in the Swiss Alps over the next few decades.
These lakes can enhance the landscape, which can be interesting for tourism.
Some of the new lakes will be suitable for the use of hydropower. That as pumped storage, for example.
What happens when the glaciers retreat (tourism)?
The melting of the glaciers offers both opportunities and risks for tourism.
Chancen
- The newly created lakes will enhance the landscape.
- The largely untouched landscapes that are released are an asset for a tourism destination if used extensively and with foresight.
Risks
- The glaciers are a landmark of the Alps. With their disappearance, the image of the Alps will change, especially in summer. This could have an impact on the attractiveness of the Alps for tourists
.
- Due to global warming (= reason for glacier melt), winter sports will come under increasing pressure.
In general
Due to climate change, summer tourism is likely to become more important, while winter tourism is likely to become increasingly difficult due to the rising snow line.
What happens when the glaciers disappear (water bodies)?
Glaciers normally have a balancing effect.
In winter, snow falls, which first turns into firn and then into ice at higher altitudes. The ice flows downhill like a viscous liquid. In summer, first the snow (which covers the glacier) and later the ice melts in the lower part of the glacier. The meltwater from the glacier feeds the streams and rivers further down.
Among other things, this is important for
- Fauna and flora,
- the groundwater resources,
- agriculture and
- shipping
along, or on, these rivers.
This does not affect streams and rivers that are not fed by glaciers.
The process described above is out of balance due to global warming. During the hot spells of 2022, for example, the glaciers more than fulfilled their balancing effect due to massive glacier melt. Due to global warming, the increase in snow in winter is no longer sufficient to compensate for the shrinkage in summer. That is why the glaciers are losing mass year after year. A reversal of the trend is not in sight.
It is difficult for us to estimate what the future will bring. The decisive factor will be in which season how much precipitation will fall. It is likely that the balancing effect of the glaciers will have to be replaced by artificial structures (e.g. reservoirs).
In the future, reservoirs may also have to store drinking water and/or water for crop irrigation.
How long will the glaciers continue to melt?
Glaciers are inert structures. Depending on the size of a glacier, it takes between about 5 (= small glaciers) and 50 years (large glaciers, e.g. Great Aletsch Glacier) for a glacier to adapt to the new temperature.
Therefore:
Even if global warming could be stopped today, glaciers would continue to melt for years to decades. That's because the glaciers haven't yet adapted to the new, higher temperature.
But this does not mean:
Glacier melt has long been the most visible effect of climate change in our latitudes. As predicted by science, other consequences are occurring more frequently: heavy precipitation, heat waves, drought, rising zero degree line, rising snow line, etc.
In contrast to glacier melt, these events occur without delay to the advancing global warming. Active climate protection therefore directly helps to dampen the consequences of global warming. Contrary to what the somewhat unfortunate name of the Glacier Initiative (Switzerland) might suggest.
Published: 14.9.2022