Temperature patterns and factors governing thermal response in high elevation springs of the Swiss Central Alps

Küry, Daniel; Lubini, Verena; Stucki, Pascal

doi:10.1007/s10750-016-2918-0

Cited by 18 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Friction at the stream bed and stream bed-water heat exchanges have been shown to be non-negligible components in some cases, e.g. steep slopes and altitudinal gradients (Webb and Zhang, 1997;Moore et al, 2005;Caissie, 2006;Küry et al, 2017). These heat exchanges are more important in the total heat budget in autumn when residual heat from summer is still stored in the ground and when riparian vegetation is present.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Groundwater temperature is also an important factor, especially close to the river source (Caissie, 2006) or in areas of significant groundwater infiltration. In Switzerland, this is especially important for high alpine rivers, which are mainly fed by glacier or snow melt, and are therefore sensitive to changes in the amount of melting and in seasonality (Harrington et al, 2017;Küry et al, 2017). Discharge is an important driver of water temperature; at different stream flow stages, different water sources (soil water, groundwater, and overland flow) contribute to the total discharge.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Stream temperature and discharge evolution in Switzerland over the last 50 years: annual and seasonal behaviour

Michel

Brauchli

Lehning

et al. 2020

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Stream temperature and discharge are key hydrological variables for ecosystem and water resource management and are particularly sensitive to climate warming. Despite the wealth of meteorological and hydrological data, few studies have quantified observed stream temperature trends in the Alps. This study presents a detailed analysis of stream temperature and discharge in 52 catchments in Switzerland, a country covering a wide range of alpine and lowland hydrological regimes. The influence of discharge, precipitation, air temperature, and upstream lakes on stream temperatures and their temporal trends is analysed from multi-decadal to seasonal timescales. Stream temperature has significantly increased over the past 5 decades, with positive trends for all four seasons. The mean trends for the last 20 years are +0.37±0.11 ∘C per decade for water temperature, resulting from the joint effects of trends in air temperature (+0.39±0.14 ∘C per decade), discharge (-10.1±4.6 % per decade), and precipitation (-9.3±3.4 % per decade). For a longer time period (1979–2018), the trends are +0.33±0.03 ∘C per decade for water temperature, +0.46±0.03°C per decade for air temperature, -3.0±0.5 % per decade for discharge, and -1.3±0.5 % per decade for precipitation. Furthermore, we show that snow and glacier melt compensates for air temperature warming trends in a transient way in alpine streams. Lakes, on the contrary, have a strengthening effect on downstream water temperature trends at all elevations. Moreover, the identified stream temperature trends are shown to have critical impacts on ecological and economical temperature thresholds (the spread of fish diseases and the usage of water for industrial cooling), especially in lowland rivers, suggesting that these waterways are becoming more vulnerable to the increasing air temperature forcing. Resilient alpine rivers are expected to become more vulnerable to warming in the near future due to the expected reductions in snow- and glacier-melt inputs. A detailed mathematical framework along with the necessary source code are provided with this paper.

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Stream temperature and discharge evolution in Switzerland over the last 50 years: annual and seasonal behaviour

Michel

Brauchli

Lehning

et al. 2020

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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“…The mean and median water temperatures of the investigated springs decreased significantly with altitude, as has been found for other alpine springs (Cantonati, 1998;Küry et al, 2017;Wigger et al, 2015). Spring water temperature is meant to reflect the mean annual air temperature of the region, no matter if at low or high altitude (Ward, 1994).…”

Section: Thermal Variabilitymentioning

confidence: 54%

“…On the basis of the conceptual model of Ward (1994), a classification differentiating stream types according to contributions of glacial meltwater (kryal), snow meltwater (nival), and groundwater (krenal) has been proposed (Brown, Hannah, & Milner, 2003;Hannah et al, 2007). Recently, Küry, Lubini, and Stucki (2017) demonstrated a significant decrease of the mean water temperature of springs with altitude. Recently, Küry, Lubini, and Stucki (2017) demonstrated a significant decrease of the mean water temperature of springs with altitude.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Frisbee, Philipps, White, Campbell, and Liu (2013) found evidence that spring water is also composed of several water sources in different proportions, such as unsaturated flow and snowmelt, yet never solely groundwater. Recently, Küry, Lubini, and Stucki (2017) demonstrated a significant decrease of the mean water temperature of springs with altitude. However, it is not clear if the water temperature variability, that is, the amplitude, also changes, and how the macroinvertebrate assemblages are affected.…”

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Temperature variability and its influence on macroinvertebrate assemblages of alpine springs

2017

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Constant water temperature is thought to be a key factor for macroinvertebrates inhabiting springs. Springs in low mountain ranges are usually fed by deep groundwater. At high altitudes, they are, to a certain degree, fed by near-surface aquifers and are influenced by snow and permafrost meltwater. This may alter temperature constancy. In this study, we examined 13 springs in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland during 1 year. The aim was to investigate the variability of water temperature and its influence on macroinvertebrate assemblages of alpine springs at different altitudes. Water temperature and solar radiation were continuously monitored; electrical conductivity, pH, and oxygen were measured; and a quantitative sampling of the macroinvertebrates was conducted 3 times from June 2010 to July 2011. Using linear correlation analysis, we detected a significant decrease of the variability of water temperature along the altitudinal gradient. Electrical conductivity was significantly lower in springs at high altitude. This might indicate an influence of snow and permafrost meltwater. The percentage of alpine species significantly increased with altitude. Taxon richness and the percentage of crenobiontic species were not significantly correlated with any physicochemical parameter.Monthly temperature amplitude and snow cover had a significant influence on the composition of macroinvertebrate assemblages, distinguishing high alpine springs from those at lower altitude. Harsh environmental conditions with low but constant water temperatures fostered alpine rhithrobiontic species, also directly at the outflow, that is, in springs. A loss of such highly adapted species is predicted due to climate change.

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Monitoring potential impacts of climate change on the biodiversity of springs and springbrooks in the Central Alps

von Fumetti,

Aberhalden

2024

Aquat Sci

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Headwaters in alpine regions and their biodiversity are particularly threatened by climatic changes. Most predictions on their response to climate change are based on modeling approaches. Empirically gained data rarely exist for glacially influenced and groundwater-fed headwaters. In 2019, long-term monitoring was initiated at 15 springs, 8 springbrooks and 2 brooks in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Engiadina Val Müstair. The goal was to gain data on hydro-ecological aspects over several decades to understand whether (1) the environmental conditions change over time and (2) how these changes influence the composition of the species assemblages. Water temperature loggers were installed, pH, electrical conductivity, oxygen, nutrients and discharge were measured three times per year, and ecomorphological features were mapped two times per year. The meio- and macrofauna was sampled in 2019, 2020 and 2021 with a semi-quantitative approach. The results of the first 5 years of monitoring show that the physico-chemistry, water temperature and discharge confirm the stable character typical for groundwater-fed systems. Certain seasonal variability is evident, which possibly indicates an influence of permafrost or snow meltwater. The composition of the species assemblages differs significantly between sites but stays relatively constant over time within a site. Elevation and the availability of wood—parameters indicating forestation—significantly influence the species composition. This study provides a solid baseline on the environmental conditions and the fauna in springs and springbrooks in the Central Alps, which is needed for a proper interpretation of changes identified on a long-term basis.

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Temperature patterns and factors governing thermal response in high elevation springs of the Swiss Central Alps

Cited by 18 publications

References 21 publications

Stream temperature and discharge evolution in Switzerland over the last 50 years: annual and seasonal behaviour

Stream temperature and discharge evolution in Switzerland over the last 50 years: annual and seasonal behaviour

Temperature variability and its influence on macroinvertebrate assemblages of alpine springs

Monitoring potential impacts of climate change on the biodiversity of springs and springbrooks in the Central Alps

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