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I don't get it. From the point of view of electricity generation and freshwater flow, what is the difference between a stable glacier and no glacier at all? I a
by Udik 8y ago
I don't get it. From the point of view of electricity generation and freshwater flow, what is the difference between a stable glacier and no glacier at all? I am probably missing something, because assuming constant rainfall, a stable glacier's contribution should be neutral.
Shouldn't we say that, from the point of view of energy generation and freshwater flow, climate change has been a net benefit so far, which we'll stop enjoying in the foreseeable future?
- _carl_jung 8y agoThat's a false dichotomy. There's clearly some kind of optimal rate that lies inbetween stable glacier and glacier that melts in a single day.
- matt4077 8y agoRain/snowfall is limited to a small(ish) number of days, while meltwater is on a predictable 12-month cycle. With rain that just flows down the mountain, you get a few days of far too much water, and the rest is dry. The glacier (and snow) average out flow over time. It acts as a natural holding pool.
- Udik 8y agoI thought about that, but while it's true that a glacier acts as a buffer, I guess that rain at those altitudes always falls as snow- for the majority of the year but probably in the summer as well- then proceeds to melt away during the summer. So the buffer effect shouldn't be entirely gone.