Rising water temperatures in European mountain waters
Published: Monday, Oct 28th 2024, 18:10
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Water temperatures in European mountain waters have been rising for decades. Climate change is endangering water quality, fish, industry and electricity production. These are the findings of a study by the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF).
The increasingly warmer air caused by climate change is warming watercourses, the SLF reported on Monday. Extreme water temperatures could trigger ecological tipping points. For example, the mortality rate of trout increases at temperatures above 23 degrees Celsius. The entire biodiversity of the ecosystems in the waters is threatened.
The high temperatures can also reduce the quality of the water, which could become a problem for the supply of clean drinking water to the population in some regions, the report continued. Industrial and utility companies would also no longer be able to cool their power plants sufficiently, forcing them to reduce or even shut down operations.
An upward trend in temperatures has been observed in the Alps for all four years. "If less snow falls in winter due to climate change, less cool meltwater reaches the rivers in spring and summer," said SLF hydrologist Amber van Hamel. In addition, there are droughts, which reduce the moisture content of the soil. Less cold groundwater reaches the river systems.
The study examined 177 bodies of water in the Alps, the Pyrenees, the French Massif Central and the mountains of Scandinavia. These include 35 watercourses in Switzerland, such as the Emme, the Rhone and the Dischma stream near Davos GR.
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