BOLZANO. “On the Malavalle glacier in Ridanna Valley, on the Vedretta Lunga in Martello Valley and on the western Vedretta di Ries in Riva di Tures, approximately 50% of the glacier surface is free of snow, and even at higher altitudes the reserves of winter snow are modest. In practice, Our glaciers have already reached Glacier Loss Day (Glacier Loss Day) this year,” explains the director Roberto Dinale of the Provincial Office of Hydrology and Dams of the Civil Protection Agency of Bolzano.
With the definition Glacier Loss Day refers to the moment when the snow mass accumulated during the winter is exhausted and the annual balance begins to go into the red. Glacier Loss Day is therefore an important indicator of the condition of a glacier. “The tongues of the glaciers have recorded a loss varying between one and a half meters and two meters of ice,” Dinale reports.
“There is still some seasonal snow above 3,000 meters, but with the freezing level above 4,000 meters and night temperatures above zero, about 10 centimeters of snow and 5 centimeters of ice melt during the day, so the situation is rapidly worsening,” explains the technician. From August 6 to 12, technicians from the Provincial Hydrology and Dam Office of the Civil Protection Agency carried out the first summer inspections of the glaciers of South Tyrol to calculate the usual mass balance, i.e. the difference between the increase in mass (accumulation) and the losses due to ablation (melting of snow and ice).
“Glaciers are a mirror of the climate system”, recalls the President of the Province Arno Kompatscherresponsible for Civil Protection within the Provincial Council. “By 2050, half of the mass of Alpine glaciers will have disappeared and with it an important element of the water cycle will also disappear.” The earlier Glacier Loss Day occurs, the longer the glacier will continue to lose volume and therefore mass until the end of summer. In 2022, this day even came a month and a half earlier than this year.
2024-08-15 21:13:44