The 1975–2005 glacier changes in Aosta Valley (Italy) and the relations with climate evolution

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)



Description :
Here 3 glacier surface area records (years 1975, 1999 and 2005) available for Aosta Valley (western Italian Alps) have been synthesized. The 1975 data have been collected by previous AA. who compiled the first Aosta Valley regional glacier database. The 1999 and 2005 surface area data were computed by the AA. here combining registered colour orthophotos with differential GPS (DGPS) field measurements. The surface changes of 174 glaciers (those shared within the three records of data) were calculated to describe the recent evolution of a representative subset of Italian glaciers. Aosta Valley glaciers lost 27% of the initial area during 1975-2005. The area change rate accelerated recently (1999-2005). Furthermore, the AA. find increasing temperature especially during late spring and summer, and substantially unchanged total precipitation, with marked reduction of snowfall, snow cover, number of snowfall events and duration of continuous snow cover, especially during spring and summer, likely driving shrinking of glacier coverage.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Progress in physical geography, issn : 0309-1333, 2012, vol. 36, n°. 6, p. 764-785, nombre de pages : 22, Références bibliographiques : 2 p.

Date :
2012

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, London, Sage Publications