Simulating the water resources of an Alpine catchment within a coupled water resource, glacier and snowmelt model framework

Climate change reduces snow and ice input to mountain meltwaters, which provide as much as 60% of the world’s annual freshwater flow. Water resource models in these environments are often flawed in their implementation of glacier and snowmelt, affecting model outputs and how stakeholders plan water resource management needs. Therefore, addressing these limitations is key to improving water security.  

  

A water resource model is applied to the Rofental catchment in the Austrian Alps using a model-coupling approach to incorporate glacier and snowmelt processes, as well as new routing mechanics to better simulate flow in these catchments. This modelling is supported by new observations of glacial thickness, extent and meltwater runoff, and enhanced with the use of isotope tracers to distinguish dominant flow paths. 

 

Preliminary results point to more conservative water routing and better glacial water representation within the catchment. Ultimately, this approach serves to constrain uncertainty and deliver a clearer picture of the dominant hydrological processes in mountain catchments, and how changes in these may impact mountain water resources in the future.