Background

Glaciers are widely recognized as the best terrestrial indicator of climate change. Nevertheless, occurred changes, even in recent times, are often poorly known. Italy has a unique, secular history of glaciological documentation that, jointly with a rich wealth of spatial, multitemporal data, allows an accurate reconstruction of recent glacier evolution. Unfortunately, these data are dispersed and/or difficult to access.

Purpose

The project focuses on the collection, storage and analysis of glaciological data from the Italian Alps, referred to the last 100 years. The project aims to update and make easily available to the scientific community and to the stakeholders multi temporal data on the Italian glacial resource, through an integrated information management system made for this purpose.

Methods

Collection and validation of glaciological data, storage through an information management system, data analysis.

Results

1. Development of an integrated information management System;
2. Updated of the glacial resource in the Italian Alps;
3. Reconstruction of the recent evolution of the Italian glaciers;
4. Promotion of a free, distributed use of the information on Italian glaciers.

Products

1. Integrated system for the management of numerical, textual, iconographic and geographic data related to the Italian glaciers;
2. Thematic maps featuring the outlines of Italian glaciers updated to 2006, at a scale varying from 1:25,000 to 1:50,00;
3. Data sets of the values of the basic parameters of the considered glaciers;
4. Data sets and graphs depicting trends in spatio-temporal variation of glacier front position;
5. Reports and scientific publications.

Conclusions

The project aims to update and make easily available to the scientific community and to the stakeholders multi-temporal data on the Italian glacial resource, through an integrated information management system made for this purpose.