Elevation-Dependent Effects of Climate Change on Snowpack in Spanish Mountains

Abstract ID: 3.10298 | Accepted as Talk | Requested as: Talk | TBA | TBA

Juan Ignacio Lopez Moreno (1)
Cesar, Deschamps Berger (2); Jesús, Revuelto (1); Esteban, Alonso-González (1)

(1) Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, C/Magdalena 6, 50001 Zaragoza, ES
(2) Geode-CNRS

Categories: Cryo- & Hydrosphere
Keywords: Snow, Climate Change, Elevation dependence, Spain

Categories: Cryo- & Hydrosphere
Keywords: Snow, Climate Change, Elevation dependence, Spain

Abstract

Climate change is expected to reduce both, snow accumulation and its duration on the ground in most temperate mountain regions. Generally, it is assumed that the reduction in snow cover will be more pronounced in lower-elevation areas and will progressively moderate at higher elevations. This is because sensitivity to warmer temperatures increases as an area gets closer to the 0ºC winter isotherm. However, factors such as the hypsometry of mountain areas, slope aspects, the temporal distribution of snowfalls during the winter and spring seasons, and the combined influence of projected changes in temperature and precipitation add significant complexity to this elevation-dependent pattern. This study investigates the elevation effect on snowpack changes using high-resolution simulations of the snow mass and energy balance in Spain’s national parks (NPs). These parks are distributed across various mountain ranges, including the Pyrenees (Ordesa y Monte Perdido and Aigües Tortes NPs), the Cantabrian Mountains (Picos de Europa NP), the Central System (Guadarrama NP), Sierra Nevada, and El Teide NPs. They span a wide latitudinal gradient (42º to 28ºN) and exhibit a diverse range of climatological and hypsometric characteristics. Simulations were performed for RCP 2.6, 4.5, and 8.5 scenarios for the 2050 time horizon. A general reduction of the snow cover is expected but snow remains at the highest elevation of all NPs. The Central System, Sierra Nevada, and El Teide mountain ranges have the most vulnerable snowpacks and will endure the largest reductions. Across all sites, the decrease in snow cover is most pronounced at lower elevations, but significant differences are observed in the gradient slope and the effect of slope aspects. The presentation will aim to disentangle the effects of the initial snowpack characteristics, of the local climate, and of the precipitation and temperature changes on the difference in snowpack evolution between NPs.

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