Monitoring the climate change in the critical zone, Monte Rosa massif (Western Alps, Italy)

Ongoing climate change is accelerating especially in high altitude areas that are the showing the fastest warming rates on Earth. High mountain territories like the European Alps are thus experiencing important changes among which modification in the water resource (e.g., amount, spatial and temporal distribution).

Changes in snow accumulation in mountain areas caused by climate change are expected to have major impacts on water supply for adjacent lowlands, hydropower production or winter tourism. In addition, information of the amount of water stored within the annual snowpack (snow water equivalent, SWE) in high mountain regions is crucial for avalanche warning or mass balance calculations of glaciers.

In the framework of the NODES (“Nord Ovest Digitale E Sostenibile”) Project and within the activities of the Laboratory of Alpine Climatology is ongoing the installation of an innovative weather stations in the high elevated areas of the Monte Rosa massif. The objectives of the projects are multiple: i) to fill the elevation gap of the present network of weather stations in the area, in order to better monitor the climate change within the Monte Rosa massif (particularly, focus is on air temperature and solid/liquid precipitation); ii) to install, test and compare innovative sensors for the analysis of snow water equivalent in order to contribute in the quantification of the water resource in the area; iii) analyzing the evolution and amount of seasonally snow accumulation caused by climate change  in high mountain regions to assess the risks and adaptation.

Two weather station are going to be installed in summer 2023 at two different sites: at Passo dei Salati (3030 m a.s.l.) and on the Garstelet Glacier (about 3500 m a.sl.). They will be equipped with sensors for the measurements of the standard meteorological parameters and in addition they will be installed innovative sensors like Rocks, Finapp and GNSS ANAVS for the quantification of SWE. These instruments will allowed to measurement accurate measurements at a high temporal resolution.

The actions put in place by our projects will accompany water management into the digital era, showing how digital technology can boost the integrated management of a vital resource e like water.