Descrizione del progetto
L’evoluzione delle falde acquifere dei ghiacciai dovuta ai cambiamenti climatici
La ricerca sull’evoluzione dei ghiacciai legata ai cambiamenti climatici studia le variazioni del bilancio di massa e i relativi effetti sull’idrologia basale e a valle. Tuttavia, le conseguenze sulle acque freatiche spesso non vengono prese in considerazione, sebbene lo sviluppo delle conoscenze in materia di ricarica, scarico e accumulo delle acque freatiche sia fondamentale per poter fornire previsioni sull’evoluzione delle risorse idriche e sui rischi idrici legati ai cambiamenti climatici. Il progetto IceAq, finanziato dall’UE, mira ad acquisire conoscenze operative dei sistemi di falde acquifere meno conosciuti in un contesto di ghiacciai, e a prevedere le loro reazioni idrodinamiche ai cambiamenti climatici. Si propone inoltre di analizzare le possibili interazioni ghiacciaio-falda acquifera nel ricarico in profondità, nonché la formazione di riserve di acqua dolce di falda in mare aperto nelle zone costiere. Il progetto si concentrerà su quattro ghiacciai di sbocco dell’Islanda orientale, utilizzando i dati geologici e climatologici esistenti e raccogliendo nuovi dati sul campo.
Obiettivo
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
Campo scientifico
- 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
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinatore
101 Reykjavik
Islanda