Description du projet
L’évolution des aquifères glaciaires sous l’effet du changement climatique
Les recherches sur l’évolution des glaciers dans le contexte du réchauffement climatique portent sur les changements du bilan massique et les impacts connexes sur l’hydrologie de base et en aval. Cependant, les conséquences sur les eaux souterraines ne sont souvent pas prises en compte, même si l’évolution des connaissances sur la recharge, l’écoulement et le stockage des nappes phréatiques est essentielle pour prédire l’évolution des ressources en eau et les risques liés à l’eau dans le cadre du changement climatique. Le projet IceAq, financé par l’UE, vise à acquérir une compréhension opérationnelle de systèmes aquifères moins connus dans un contexte glaciaire et à prévoir leurs réactions hydrodynamiques face au changement climatique. Il étudiera également les interactions potentielles entre les glaciers et les aquifères dans la recharge en profondeur et la formation de stocks d’eau douce sous les océans dans les zones côtières. Le projet se concentrera sur quatre glaciers émissaires dans l’est de l’Islande en utilisant des données existantes, de la géologie à la climatologie, et en collectant de nouvelles données sur le terrain.
Objectif
The research addressing glacier evolution under climate change is well developed, looking not only at changes in mass balance, but also at the associated effects on basal and downstream hydrology. However, aftermath changes to the groundwater component are rarely considered, even though evolving groundwater recharge, discharge and storage will be required to forecast the evolution of water resources and of water-related hazards under climate change. This knowledge gap is the object of IceAq.
IceAq will focus on 4 outlet glaciers of the Vatnajökull, the main icelandic icecap, which retreat under climate change is already documented. In addition to gathering of existing data (from geology to climatology), new data will be acquired on the field, mainly to characterise groundwater. Based on those data-sets, local comprehensive numerical models will be build, and then be integrated into a regional one, which will allow more realistic hydrogeological simulations, and the input of future climate scenarios.
The scientific perspective is threefold: achievement of an operational understanding and quantification of unknown or poorly known aquifer systems in glacial context, prediction of their hydrodynamic response to climate change, and exploration of the potential role of glacier-aquifer interactions in the mechanism of deep recharge and formation of offshore fresh groundwater stocks in littoral zones.
Outputs of the project will provide first answers to those interrogations, and be disseminated in the scientific community but also to the general audience through a participatory approach. The developed methodology will be applied in the future to other glaciated systems in different contexts.
Dr Vincent and the glaciology group of IES, UoI, have very complementary expertise, essential for this project. The planned research and training is expected to allow Dr Vincent to reach her career objectives and will offer her host new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations
Champ scientifique
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental scienceshydrology
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesphysical geographynatural disasters
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesphysical geographyglaciology
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesgeology
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinateur
101 Reykjavik
Islande