Nuria de Andrés, José Úbeda y David Palacios han sido incluidos en el la propuesta del proyecto SNOWCAPE - Snow characteristics, dynamics, evolution, resources and risks in serra da Estrela, Portugal

Del Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território da Universidade de Lisboa (IGOT), donde La investigadora principal es la Dra. CARLA ANDREIA SILVA MORA

Resumen del proyecto:

Snow is a major element of the Earth System and a key-component of the Cryosphere in the core of climate change science.Besides pure climate change science, implications of a changing global snow cover are enormous and affect both the economiesof developed countries, where winter sports are one of the concerns, but also of large developing nations, where millions ofpeople rely on snow and ice as sources of water. Portugal, a mid-latitude country famous by the sunny weather, sandy beachesand golf courses is marginal to the global scale snow problems. However, if we zoom into the Portuguese part of the IberianCentral Cordillera, we find the serra da Estrela mountain range, the highest area of mainland Portugal. There, snow still plays asignificant socio-economical role at the regional level and its changes impact culturally the whole nation.The serra da Estrela is known by the Portuguese as their snow site, the only place where ski can be regularly practiced in winterand as the home of large Late Pleistocene glaciers, having significantly sculpted the landscape. Despite its mid altitude, risingonly to 1,993m asl, the Estrela shows an impressive fjell looking plateau and beautiful alpine looking glacial cirques. Its marginalposition in the Atlantic-Mediterrean climatic boundary and long human settlement history imposed in the landscape a rich agroculturalmosaic, forming Portugal"s largest Natural Park. Heavy snow storms are not rare in the upper parts of the mountain,affecting roads and other infrastructure that is present even at the summit, thus generating potential risks.Snow plays a significant role in the Serra da Estrela and SNOWSCAPE aims at characterizing it, evaluating its significance andbringing new light into its fate. Currently, almost nothing is known about snow in the Estrela and we aim at bridging this gapusing state-of-the-art science techniques, delivering international level products and providing new tools for the propermanagement of this sensitive region.

SNOWSCAPE is designed as an interdisciplinary project with a strong physical geography component needed to cope with thecurrent lack of data and knowledge on snow in the region. Research will deal with snow evolution since ca. 30 ka BP by usingmultiproxy data derived from techniques such as physical modelling of glacier surfaces and equilibrium line altitudereconstruction, absolute and relative dating, sedimentological analysis and analysis of historical documents. Snow coverevolution and dynamics since the late 19th century will be studied by analysing climatological series, by using model data fromreanalisis for snow storm genetical classification, state-of-the-art remote sensing with microwave and optical imagery,meteorological monitoring and field surveys of the snow pack using snow-pits, nivo-termometers, time-lapse cameras as well asground penetrating radar. The socioeconomical significance of snow tourism and its dynamics will be assessed by means ofstatistical data analysis, local interviews and expert panel consultancy. Finally, the project aims at an applied component,through hazard and risk modelling using different meteorological scenarios, that will result in the publication of a greenpaperintending to lead to a coordinated and sustained approach to snow management in the region.

SNOWSCAPE is a complex and overarching project, but the research team joins experts in the key project areas, with fieldexperience from different regions of the World, from the Antarctic, Arctic, Tropical and Mediterranean Mountains and with adetailed knowledge of the territory and its management, including the Serra da Estrela. A group of leading consultants has beenselected for bringing a critical insight into project developments and advising in key issues such as historical climatology sources(Barriendos), geophysical methods (Correia), touristical development in mountain regions (Cabero Diéguez) and on hazard andrisk assessment and mitigation (Zêzere).