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If more ice melts in the Alps, how does that lead to lower water levels in the Rhine? One would expect the reverse effect.
by tomrijntjes 8y ago
If more ice melts in the Alps, how does that lead to lower water levels in the Rhine? One would expect the reverse effect.
- config_yml 8y agoThe ice doesnt replenish in the colder periods. Side streams go dry, transporting less water to the main stream.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- Reason077 8y agoThere is only so much ice in the Alps. As glaciers retreat, there is less water stored in them. Reduced ice mass means less meltwater, despite warm conditions.
- Gravityloss 8y agoProbably less water during summer as that came from meltwater. I would assume more water during winter then.
- gpsx 8y agoYes, glacier melting should mean more water. That is not what the graph labeled "The Rhine river has been receding as alpine glaciers at its source melt" shows. Another alternative is that, because temperatures are warmer and there is less water stored in the glaciers during winter and less melting in summer, there should be a wider depth variation between winter and summer but a similar average. Also not what the graph shows. It seems like it is just less precipitation. (Which is climate change, possibly due to global warming)