Perennial ·snow patches in relation to permafrost distribution

Perennial ·snow patches in relation to permafrost distribution: A study of permafrost in a changing climate and a first systematical mapping of perennial snow patches in the area of St. Moritz, Graubunden, Switzerland

de Graaf, E.H.J.

Molengraaff Fonds

1992

Research on climatic change in the Alps focussed traditionally on glacier fluctuation. Recently research on permafrost gained more interest, because the climatic change affects large permafrost areas in the Alps. The permafrost reacts to a temperature increase in a complex pattern. Further research will be especcially necessary on the interaction between snow characteristics and permafrost development The distribution pattern of perennial snow patches in an area of 210 km2 compared to the. distribution pattern of potential permafrost, calculated with the computer program PERMAKART, shows that perennial snow patches are strongly related to permafrost existence. Comparing the mapped perennial snow patches and ice bodies in the aerial photographs with the topographical map and the list of Millier et.el. ( 1976) of all major ice bodies in the investigated area, revealed that a lot of ice bodies dissapeared or decreased in size, possibly due to warmer conditions in the last decade.

https://doi.org/10.4233/uuid:b36f6d4a-9845-4bae-82d9-669252a5d4b9

Utrecht University

Geoscience Reports

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