The Impact of Climate Change on Lakes in Central Europe

Abstract

AbstractIn Europe, the effects of global warming are expected to be particularly acute in areas exposed to a more extreme continental climate. The climate change scenarios summarized in Chapter 2, this volume, suggest that the average summer temperatures in some areas of Central Europe could increase by as much as 6°C by 2071–2100. The associated projections for the rainfall give even more cause for concern with the reductions in some areas approaching 50% in summer. In this chapter we analyse impacts of changing weather conditions on lakes in Central Europe. Long-term data sets from a number of lakes are used to link measured variables to climate signals. Particular attention is paid to the lakes in the perialpine region which are known to be very sensitive to short-term changes in the weather (Psenner, 2003; Thompson et al., 2005). Here, the topography and the steep orography enhance the water cycle, and result in flooding, debris flows, avalanches, vertical plant migration etc. The Alps also form a barrier to the mass movement of air and are responsible for the sharp climatic divide between Atlantic, Continental and Mediterranean influences.KeywordsDebris FlowNorth Atlantic OscillationThermal StratificationNorth Atlantic Oscillation IndexDeep LakeThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.