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The consequences of climate change in the Alps are visible from space by Staff Writers Basel, Switzerland (SPX) Jun 03, 2022
Global warming has a particularly pronounced impact on the Alpine region. Like the Arctic, this European mountain range is becoming greener. Writing in the journal Science, researchers from the University of Lausanne and the University of Basel have now used satellite data to show that vegetation above the tree line has increased in nearly 80% of the Alps. Snow cover is also decreasing, albeit so far only slightly. Melting glaciers have become a symbol of climate change in the Alps. Now, the reduction in snow cover is already visible from space but this is by no means the biggest change. This is the conclusion of a research team led by Professor Sabine Rumpf from the University of Basel and Professor Gregoire Mariethoz and Professor Antoine Guisan from the University of Lausanne. Working with colleagues in the Netherlands and Finland, the researchers investigated the change in snow cover and vegetation using high-resolution satellite data from 1984 to 2021. Over this period, plant biomass above the tree line increased in more than 77% of the observed area. This phenomenon of "greening" due to climate change is already well documented in the Arctic and starts also to be detected in mountains.
Greater plant biomass in three-quarters of the Alps Previous studies have primarily focused on the influence of global warming on Alpine biodiversity and changes in the distribution of plant species. Until now, however, no one had conducted such a comprehensive analysis of the changes in vegetation productivity in the Alps. The authors show that the increase of plant biomass is primarily due to changes in precipitation and longer vegetation periods as a result of rising temperatures. "Alpine plants are adapted to harsh conditions, but they're not very competitive," says Rumpf. As environmental conditions change, she says, these specialized species lose their advantage and are outcompeted: "The unique biodiversity of the Alps is therefore under considerable pressure."
Already a slight reduction in snow cover "Previous analyses of satellite data hadn't identified any such trend," explains Antoine Guisan, one of the two senior authors of the study. "This may be because the resolution of the satellite images was insufficient or because the periods considered were too short." "For years, local ground-based measurements have shown a decrease in snow depth at low elevations," adds Gregoire Mariethoz. "This decrease has already caused some areas to become largely snow-free." Based on the satellite data, it's possible to distinguish whether a specific area is covered with snow or not, but doesn't allow to draw conclusions about snow depth. As global warming continues, the Alps will turn more and more from white to green, creating a vicious circle: "Greener mountains reflect less sunlight and therefore lead to further warming - and, in turn, to further shrinkage of reflective snow cover," says Rumpf. Warming also causes further melting of glaciers and the thawing of permafrost, which may lead to more landslides, rockfalls and mudflows. Furthermore, Rumpf emphasizes the important role of snow and ice from the Alps in the supply of drinking water and, not least, for recreation and tourism.
Research Report:From white to green: Snow cover loss and increased vegetation productivity in the European Alps
Five things to know about NASA's new mineral dust detector Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 02, 2022 Each year, strong winds carry more than a billion metric tons - or the weight of 10,000 aircraft carriers - of mineral dust from Earth's deserts and other dry regions through the atmosphere. While scientists know that the dust affects the environment and climate, they don't have enough data to determine, in detail, what those effects are or may be in the future - at least not yet. Launching to the International Space Station on June 9, NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) ... read more
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