Inventory and evolution of glacial lakes in Switzerland since the Little Ice Age

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Main Authors: Mölg, Nico, Allen, Simon, Odermatt, Daniel
Format: Dataset Open Access
Language:en
Published: PANGAEA 2021
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author Mölg, Nico
Allen, Simon
Odermatt, Daniel
author_facet Mölg, Nico
Allen, Simon
Odermatt, Daniel
collection Datos científicos de ciencias marinas y ambientales
contents Retreating glaciers give way to new landscapes with lakes as an important element. In this study, we combined available data on lake outlines with historical orthoimagery and glacier outlines for six time periods since the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA; ~1850). We generated a glacial lake inventory for modern times (2016) and traced the evolution of glacial lakes that formed in the deglaciated area since the LIA. In this deglaciated area, a total of 1192 lakes formed over the period of almost 170 years, 987 of them still in existence in 2016. Their total water surface in 2016 was 6.22 ±0.25 km². The largest lakes are >0.4 km² (40 ha) in size, while the majority (>90%) are smaller than 0.01 km². Annual increase rates in area and number peaked in 1946-1973, decreased towards the end of the 20th century, and reached a new high in the latest period 2006-2016. For a period of 43 years (1973-2016), we compared modelled overdeepenings from previous studies to actual lake genesis. For a better prioritisation of formation probability, we included glacier-morphological criteria such as glacier width and visible crevassing. About 40% of the modelled overdeepened area actually filled with water. The inclusion of morphological aspects clearly aided in linking a lake formation probability to a modelled overdeepening. Additional morphological variables, namely dam type and material, surface runoff, and freeboard, were compiled for a subset of larger and ice-contact lakes in 2016, constituting a basis for future hazard assessment. All datasets generated in this study are provided. Lake outlines directly taken from Swisstopo (Swisstopo, 2020a) fall under the national copyright and are therefore only presented in point format, whereas lake outlines strongly modified from the original outlines by Swisstopo as well as lake outlines generated in this study are fully provided as polygons. Lake data is provided for each date as well as an overview shapefile including a summary of all lake parameters, and a subsample of the lakes, for which hazard parameters were derived from auxiliary base datasets (digital elevation model, orthoimagery). A list as well as a description of the datasets and the respective parameters is given below.
format Dataset Open Access
id pangaea_https___doi_org_10_1594_PANGAEA_934190
institution PANGAEA
language en
publishDate 2021
publisher PANGAEA
record_format pangaea
spellingShingle Inventory and evolution of glacial lakes in Switzerland since the Little Ice Age
Mölg, Nico
Allen, Simon
Odermatt, Daniel
Binary Object; File content; glacial lakes; glacier bed overdeepening; Glaciers; mountain landscape; new lakes; Switzerland
Retreating glaciers give way to new landscapes with lakes as an important element. In this study, we combined available data on lake outlines with historical orthoimagery and glacier outlines for six time periods since the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA; ~1850). We generated a glacial lake inventory for modern times (2016) and traced the evolution of glacial lakes that formed in the deglaciated area since the LIA. In this deglaciated area, a total of 1192 lakes formed over the period of almost 170 years, 987 of them still in existence in 2016. Their total water surface in 2016 was 6.22 ±0.25 km². The largest lakes are >0.4 km² (40 ha) in size, while the majority (>90%) are smaller than 0.01 km². Annual increase rates in area and number peaked in 1946-1973, decreased towards the end of the 20th century, and reached a new high in the latest period 2006-2016. For a period of 43 years (1973-2016), we compared modelled overdeepenings from previous studies to actual lake genesis. For a better prioritisation of formation probability, we included glacier-morphological criteria such as glacier width and visible crevassing. About 40% of the modelled overdeepened area actually filled with water. The inclusion of morphological aspects clearly aided in linking a lake formation probability to a modelled overdeepening. Additional morphological variables, namely dam type and material, surface runoff, and freeboard, were compiled for a subset of larger and ice-contact lakes in 2016, constituting a basis for future hazard assessment. All datasets generated in this study are provided. Lake outlines directly taken from Swisstopo (Swisstopo, 2020a) fall under the national copyright and are therefore only presented in point format, whereas lake outlines strongly modified from the original outlines by Swisstopo as well as lake outlines generated in this study are fully provided as polygons. Lake data is provided for each date as well as an overview shapefile including a summary of all lake parameters, and a subsample of the lakes, for which hazard parameters were derived from auxiliary base datasets (digital elevation model, orthoimagery). A list as well as a description of the datasets and the respective parameters is given below.
title Inventory and evolution of glacial lakes in Switzerland since the Little Ice Age
topic Binary Object; File content; glacial lakes; glacier bed overdeepening; Glaciers; mountain landscape; new lakes; Switzerland
url https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.934190