Research project We investigate how perennial snowfields affect evapotranspiration, runoff and air temperatures in the mountains near Abisko, in northern Sweden.
Nikki Vercauteren, Köln university
Mats Björkman, Göteborgs university
Pertti Ala-aho, Oulu university
In this project, we investigate for the first time how perennial snowfields in the Swedish mountains contribute water to vegetation and streams and how they help cool the terrain during the summer. We use meteorological and hydrological measurements to understand how the snowfields affect their surroundings and develop numerical models to investigate how their role as water suppliers may change in the future with continued warming. Our measurements focus on how water from the snowfields affects evapotranspiration from the surrounding land, since this determines how much water is left to replenish streams and also has an important cooling effect on the air.
