The global warming the planet is experiencing is already affecting the planet. ski slopes Extraordinary European enclaves, such as in Switzerland, where the Alps have lost their slidable surface. However, France or Austria also closes the slopes in mid-January due to lack of snow. Sooner or later the same will happen in Spain, where studies have revealed a gradual loss of snow in the Pyrenees region. Now, scientific research from the University of Basel reveals that: snowballs may not be enough protect ski resorts.
Current climate models predict this In the coming years, there will be more precipitation in winter, but it will fall as rain instead of snow. This does not prevent the continued investment of large sums from both the public and private sectors for the expansion of existing ski resorts.
From the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Basel, Dr. A research team led by Erika Hiltbrunner, Now he has calculated how much this ski resort can save the New Year’s season economically. and a ski season of at least 100 days with or without artificial snow.
From the slopes, the team collected data on where and when snow formed at the ski resort, and with how much water. They then applied the latest climate change scenarios with SkiSim 2.0 simulation software to reflect snow conditions with and without artificial snow. The results of their research were recently published in the journalism. International Journal of Biometeorology.
According to the results, the use of artificially produced snow can guarantee a 100-day ski season, at least on the highest parts of the resort (1,800 meters or more). But The business is likely to suffer losses over the Christmas holidays in the coming decades.because the weather is usually not cold enough on these dates or in the previous weeks.
Snowballs are not a complete guarantee
If greenhouse gas emissions do not decrease, especially the Sedrun region will no longer be able to offer guaranteed snow on Christmas in the long run. According to the researchers, the new snow machines may alleviate the situation somewhat, but they will not completely solve the problem.
“A lot of people don’t realize that certain weather conditions are also required to make snow“It shouldn’t be too hot or too humid, otherwise there won’t be enough evaporative cooling for the water spray to freeze in the air and go down as snow,” Hiltbrunner explains in a statement.
Warm air absorbs more moisture, so as winters get warmer, It is also becoming increasingly difficult or impossible to generate snow artificially. In other words: “Here, the laws of physics set clear limits on snowmaking.”
The cost of artificial snow will increase
But skiing will continue as artificial snowfall allows the resorts to keep the highest slopes open for 100 days, even until the end of the century and in conditions of climate change. But this comes at a high price. The researchers’ calculations show that Water consumption for snowmaking will increase significantly, by about 80% over the entire season.
Thus, in an average winter season at the end of the century, approximately 540 million liters of water would be consumed compared to the current consumption of 300 million liters.
However, the researchers emphasize that this increase in water demand is still relatively modest compared to other ski resorts. Previous research has shown that water consumption for snowfall For example, at the Scuol ski resort, it is multiplied by 2.4 to 5 times.since the snow-covered area will need to be greatly expanded to ensure the reliability of the snow.
Currently, some of the water used for snowballs in the greater Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis subregion comes from Oberalpsee. For this purpose, a maximum of 200 million liters can be extracted annually. If climate change does not stop, this water supply will last until the middle of the century, and then new sources will have to be used.
The lead author of the study, who currently works at the Agroscope research station, is Dr. “The Oberalpsee is also used to generate hydroelectric power,” explains Maria Vorkauf. “Here we are likely to see a discrepancy between the water demands for the ski resort and those for hydroelectric generation.”
What is certain is that the increase in snow production will also increase the costs and therefore the price of ski holidays. “Sooner or later, middle-income people will no longer be able to afford them”says Hiltbrunner.
Reference work: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00484-022-02394-z
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