The European mountain cryosphere: a review of its current state, trends, and future challenges

• Published in: The Cryosphere
• Main Authors: M. Beniston, D. Farinotti, M. Stoffel, L. M. Andreassen, E. Coppola, N. Eckert, A. Fantini, F. Giacona, C. Hauck, M. Huss, H. Huwald, M. Lehning, J.-I. López-Moreno, J. Magnusson, C. Marty, E. Morán-Tejéda, S. Morin, M. Naaim, A. Provenzale, A. Rabatel, D. Six, J. Stötter, U. Strasser, S. Terzago, C. Vincent
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2018
• Subjects: geo; envir; Ice; permafrost; The Cryosphere
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-759-2018; https://www.the-cryosphere.net/12/759/2018/tc-12-759-2018.pdf; https://doaj.org/article/e17035b572bd4f42b3e12ffca9620ad1

The mountain cryosphere of mainland Europe is recognized to have important impacts on a range of environmental processes. In this paper, we provide an overview on the current knowledge on snow, glacier, and permafrost processes, as well as their past, current, and future evolution. We additionally provide an assessment of current cryosphere research in Europe and point to the different domains requiring further research. Emphasis is given to our understanding of climate–cryosphere interactions, cryosphere controls on physical and biological mountain systems, and related impacts. By the end of the century, Europe's mountain cryosphere will have changed to an extent that will impact the landscape, the hydrological regimes, the water resources, and the infrastructure. The impacts will not remain confined to the mountain area but also affect the downstream lowlands, entailing a wide range of socioeconomical consequences. European mountains will have a completely different visual appearance, in which low- and mid-range-altitude glaciers will have disappeared and even large valley glaciers will have experienced significant retreat and mass loss. Due to increased air temperatures and related shifts from solid to liquid precipitation, seasonal snow lines will be found at much higher altitudes, and the snow season will be much shorter than today. These changes in snow and ice melt will cause a shift in the timing of discharge maxima, as well as a transition of runoff regimes from glacial to nival and from nival to pluvial. This will entail significant impacts on the seasonality of high-altitude water availability, with consequences for water storage and management in reservoirs for drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower production. Whereas an upward shift of the tree line and expansion of vegetation can be expected into current periglacial areas, the disappearance of permafrost at lower altitudes and its warming at higher elevations will likely result in mass movements and process chains beyond historical experience. ...