International Symposium on “The Future of the Glaciers. From the past to the next 100 years” Turin, Italy. 18-21 September 2014
DATAGRALP – A new database for reconstructing the spatial-temporal evolution of the glacial resource in the Italian Alps over the last 100 years in the framework of the NextData Project - The Western Italian Alps 1,2
Giardino M., 1Mortara G., 1,2Perotti L., 1Perona S., 1,3Viani C. (
[email protected]) 1
Comitato Glaciologico Italiano (Italian Glaciological Committee), Torino, Italy 2 Università degli Studi di Torino, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Torino, Italy 3 National Research Council, Research Institute for Geo-hydrological Protection, Italy
Glaciers of Western Italian Alps
Glaciers of the Western Alps (Piemonte and Aosta Valley) contribute significantly to the Italian glacial resource by means of a diversity of glacier types: valley glaciers and debris-covered glaciers (Miage, Belvedere), large (e.g. Lys, Verra) and small (e.g. Ciardoney, Breuil) mountain glaciers, hanging glaciers (Grandes Jorasses, Signal). They spread over a large area, but major glaciers concentrate in the most relevant massifs (Monte Bianco, Monte Rosa and Gran Paradiso) or elevated mountains (e.g. Monviso, Ciamarella and Punta del Sabbione). The Inventory of Italian Glaciers realized by the Italian Glaciological Committee (CGI) in 1959-1962 included 363 glaciers for Western Alps. A dedicated information system has been used to store basic glaciological parameters extracted by the CGI inventory (1959-62), such as: extension, length, width, slope, orientation, elevation, coordinates, but also information about glacier type and form, source nourishment an so on.
Glaciers extension in 2006 (examples of some relevant massifs)
An updated picture (2006) of the glaciers of the Western Alps has been drawn from most recent available ortophotos: glacier outlines have been associated to attribute tables for glacier parameters (area, length, width, slope, max and min elevation, exposure, latitude and longitude of the glacier centroid). Monte Bianco (Aosta Valley)
Valli di Lanzo (Piemonte)
Gran Paradiso (Piemonte)
Comparison 50s-2006: some glaciological data The Valli di Lanzo glaciers were 18 in the Inventory of Italian Glaciers (CGI, 1959-1962) covering an area of about 7,97 km². The updated picture (2006) shows a new situation: 30 glacial bodies are identified, the increase of glaciers number is due to the phenomenon of the glacier desmemberment (e.g.: Albaron di Sea Glacier, at right). The total area has been reduced (-42%), it amonunts to 3,77 km². 3 glaciers of the 18 original glaciers are extinguished.
Legend
Num.
The Mulinet Nord Glacier in the Valli di Lanzo Glacier area, centroid, max and min elevation, max and min width, length and debris covered areas are derived in GIS environment (map on ortophoto 2006) Photo comparison: 1957 (photo Zucchetti) and 2006 (photo Rogliardo). Note the retreat of the glacier front and the volume reduction that occurred in about 50 years.
1957
2006
35 35.1 35.2 35.3 35.4 36 36.1 37 37.1 38 39 40 40a 41 42 42a 43 44 44.1 44.2 44.3 45 46 46.1 46a 46a.1 46b 47 48 49 50 51 52 52a Total
Glacier Rocciamelone Rocciamelone Meridionale Rocciamelone Nord Orientale Rocciamelone Nord Occidentale Rocciamelone Settentrionale Bertà Bertà Orientale Pera Ciaval Pera Ciaval Orientale Croce Rossa Servin Bessanese Occidentale della Bessanese Pian Gias Collerin d'Arnas Orientale del Collerin d'Arnas Ciamarella Albaron di Sea Albaron di Sea Occidentale Albaron di Sea Nord Occidentale Albaron di Sea Settentrionale Tonini Sea Sea Meridionale Meridionale di Bonneval Meridionale di Bonneval Meridionale Settentrionale di Bonneval Mulinet Sud Mulinet Nord Martellot Talancia Girard Sud della Levanna Orientale Nord della Levanna Orientale Occidentale del Nord della Levanna Orientale
Albaron di Sea Glacier (Valli di Lanzo): an example of glacier desmemberment Ciamarella 3676 m
before 1904
Photo Luino
2007
Area 50s (km²) Area 2006 (km²)
0,6
0,6 0,18 0,06 0,14 1,45 0,36 0,7 0,7 0,58 0,7 0,62
0,31 0,18 0,23 0,05 0,28 0,23 7,97
0,053 0,021 0,058 0,11 0,059 0,076 0,026 0,014 0,008 0,072 Extinguished 0,398 0,026 Extinguished 0,196 0,04 0,635 0,147 0,021 0,028 0,134 0,825 0,043 0,06 0,022 0,008 0,312 0,123 0,133 Extinguished 0,119 0,157 0,012 3,768
Photo Rogliardo
2006
A couple of photos testify significant changes occured at Albaron di Sea Glacier between 1904-2007. The desmemberment of the glacier date back to 2005.
Preliminary results Preliminary comparison data and statistics are outlined here for the glacial resource of the Western Alps: about the 34% of the glaciers existing in the inventory of CGI (1959-1962) are extinguished in 2006. Almost 1/4 glaciers were dismembered in more little glacial bodies and the present day total glaciated area is about 67% of the previous inventory. Research by the team is in progress for more detailed quantification of glacial parameters in order to feed numerical models targeted to the simulation of the response of glaciers to climate change scenarios.
