Glacier under pressure: drones reveal the secret ice volume!

Glacier under pressure: drones reveal the secret ice volume!

The team around the geomorphologist Ingo Hartmeyer has developed innovative methods for the examination of glaciers in the Alps. The ice volume of glaciers is now made measurable with drones that are equipped with georadar systems. This technology could take up to 60 minutes to measure an entire glacier. Such measurements are of interest not only for the scientific community, but also for tourism associations and energy suppliers. The new procedure is already being used on the Kitzsteinhorn, not far from Kaprun. There is a special challenge before: How long will the glaciers remain attractive as tourism goals? The answer could be crucial for the economy in these areas, Hartmeyer told APA before the upcoming "World Day of the Glacier" (March 21). These developments could have profound effects on tourism and energy production, emphasizes the expert.

The challenge of climate change

With an average temperature rise of 0.07 degrees Celsius per year on the glacier plateau, the dynamics of the glacier decline are perceived as worrying. Hartmeyer explains that the changes in the permafrost and the associated landslide have increased by eight to ten times in the past two decades. The areas that were previously covered by the ice are increasingly exposed, which not only affects the ecosystems, but also increases the risk of infrastructure in the valleys. This could lead to dangerous sludge avalanches, the heavy rain events should continue to increase, according to the warning of experts.

am Kitzsteinhorn, which has been operating an “open-air laboratory” for researching the climatic changes since 2010, it is found that the former “nutrient areas” for the glacier may no longer work as such. With the high visits and the associated requirements for the infrastructure, the operators of the mountain railways are facing a uncertain future in view of the drastic climate changes. The precise analysis and understanding of these changes are crucial to evaluate the effects on the region and to plan corresponding measures, such as the researchers of Georesearch emphasize.