Last winter would have become a problem for the Salzburg glaciers because of the small amounts of snow. The cold and wet spring in the valley ensures that the balance is at least mediocre.
Every spring, climate researchers from Geosphere Austria (formerly ZAMG) and researchers from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna measure the Goldbergkees and Kleinfleisskees, the glaciers on the Hoher Sonnblick. This calculates the mass balance. “We measured snow depth with probes at about 450 points on the glacier and measured snow density at five other positions in snow shafts,” says Geosphere researcher Anton Neureiter.
“Late snow makes a big difference”
In the middle of winter there was still very little snow, but that changed considerably. “The late snow makes a big difference to the mass balance of the winter half year. If the measurements had taken place on May 1 instead of around May 25, the winter mass balance would have been about 15 percent lower,’ says Neureiter.
The first evaluations show a mass increase in the winter half year, which roughly corresponds to the average of recent years. At the end of May this year, the average snow depth on the Goldbergkees was 415 centimeters (ten centimeters above the average of recent years). This corresponds to a mass increase of 1800 kilograms per square meter (6 percent above the average of recent years).
“Summer more important than winter”
The average snow depth on the Kleinfleisskees was 366 centimeters (ten centimeters above average). This corresponds to a mass increase of 1550 kilograms per square meter (eight percent above average). “However, for the long-term development of glaciers in Austria, the weather in summer is more important than in winter,” says the glacier expert.
The decisive factor is whether occasional cold air currents in summer bring snow to the glaciers. A fresh, very white blanket of snow reflects almost 100 percent of the sun’s rays and can protect the glacier from melting for up to a week
Source: Krone
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