| Abstract | Snow stores a significant amount of water in mountain regions. The decrease of water storage in the snowpack can have relevant impacts on water supply for mountain and lowland areas that rely on snow melting. In this work, we modelled the Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) using daily snow depth (HS) data obtained from 19 historical HS measurement stations located in the southern European Alps (Italy). Then, we analysed the long-term (1930-2020) variability of the monthly Standardised SWE Index (SSWEI) and its links with climate change and large-scale atmospheric forcings (teleconnection indices). We found a marked variability in monthly SSWEI, with the lowermost values generally occurring in the last few decades (1991-2020), irrespective of elevation. In this recent period, highly negative values occurred at the snow season tails, mostly in spring. We found large-scale atmospheric patterns (North Atlantic Oscillation, Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation, and Artic Oscillation) and precipitation to be interconnected with SSWEI oscillations, although this relation changed after the 1980s, especially at low and medium elevations. This change occurred in correspondence of highly positive air temperature anomalies. In the last decades, we found increasing air temperature to be the main driver for the
pronounced snow mass loss and persistent snow-drought conditions. |
| Text | 472625 2022 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.128532 Snow Mountains Standardised index Teleconnections Indexes Global warming Drought Long term trend of snow water equivalent in the Italian Alps Nicola Colombo; Mauro Valt; Emanuele Romano; Franco Salerno; Danilo Godone; Paola Cinfarra; Michele Freppaz; Maurizio Maugeri; Nicolas Guyennon Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Montelibretti, RM, Italy; Avalanche Centre Arabba, ARPA Veneto DRST, Livinallongo del Col di Lana, BL, Italy; Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Montelibretti, RM, Italy; Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council of Italy, Venice, Italy; Research Institute for Geo Hydrological Protection, National Research Council of Italy, Turin, Italy; Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, TO, Italy; Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Montelibretti, RM, Italy Snow stores a significant amount of water in mountain regions. The decrease of water storage in the snowpack can have relevant impacts on water supply for mountain and lowland areas that rely on snow melting. In this work, we modelled the Snow Water Equivalent SWE using daily snow depth HS data obtained from 19 historical HS measurement stations located in the southern European Alps Italy . Then, we analysed the long term 1930 2020 variability of the monthly Standardised SWE Index SSWEI and its links with climate change and large scale atmospheric forcings teleconnection indices . We found a marked variability in monthly SSWEI, with the lowermost values generally occurring in the last few decades 1991 2020 , irrespective of elevation. In this recent period, highly negative values occurred at the snow season tails, mostly in spring. We found large scale atmospheric patterns North Atlantic Oscillation, Atlantic Multi decadal Oscillation, and Artic Oscillation and precipitation to be interconnected with SSWEI oscillations, although this relation changed after the 1980s, especially at low and medium elevations. This change occurred in correspondence of highly positive air temperature anomalies. In the last decades, we found increasing air temperature to be the main driver for the pronounced snow mass loss and persistent snow drought conditions. 614 Published version https //www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022169422011027 Long term trend of snow water equivalent in the Italian Alps Articolo Completo 2022 Colombo et al Long term trend of snow water equivalent in the Italian Alps.pdf Articolo in rivista Elsevier 0022 1694 Journal of hydrology Amst. Journal of hydrology Amst. J. hydrol. Amst. Journal of hydrology. Amst. Journal of hydrology Lausanne Amst. Journal of hydrology New York Amst. Journal of hydrology Oxford Amst. Journal of hydrology Shannon Amst. Journal of hydrology Tokyo Amst. COLOMBO NICOLA franco.salerno SALERNO FRANCO emanuele.romano ROMANO EMANUELE nicolasdominique.guyennon GUYENNON NICOLAS DOMINIQUE danilofrancescostefano.godone GODONE DANILO FRANCESCO STEFANO TA.P05.010.001 Tecniche e tecnologie per il monitoraggio dei parametri che caratterizzano le evoluzioni morfologiche di alvei e versanti instabili. DTA.AD003.141.001 Sviluppo sistemi monitoraggio innovativi |
