Gepatschferner
| Gepatschferner | ||
|---|---|---|
 Nutrient area of the Gepatschferner with the Brandenburg House , in front the ice divide to the Kesselwandferner (2006) |
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| location | Tyrol ( Austria ), South Tyrol ( Italy ) | |
| Mountains | Ötztal Alps , Weißkamm | |
| Type | Valley glacier | |
| length | 7.8 km (2011) | |
| surface | 16.6 km² (2006) | |
| Exposure | Nutrient area northeast, consumption area north | |
| Altitude range | 3510 m - 2100 m (2006) | |
| Ice thickness | ⌀ 71 m (1987) | |
| Ice volume | 1.44 ± 0.014 km³ (2006) | |
| Coordinates | 46 ° 50 ′ 0 ″ N , 10 ° 45 ′ 0 ″ E | |
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| drainage | Mainly: Gepatschbach → Gepatschspeicher → Faggenbach → Inn ; Furthermore: Langtauferer Ferner , Weißseeferner |
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The Gepatschferner ( Italian Vedretta della Croda ) is the second largest glacier in Austria after the Pasterze . The name is derived from the Roman compaccio , which means “barren field”.
location
The Gepatschferner lies south above the Kaunertal in Tyrol in the Ötztal Alps , approx. 1500 meters above the valley head. Its nutrient area is delimited in the northwest by the 3526 meter high Weißseespitze and in the southeast by the three Hintereisspitzen (approx. 3450 m). In between run the Langtaufer ice walls , over which a small part of the glacier extends to the southwest in the direction of the Langtauferer Tal in the Italian South Tyrol and flows in a formerly mighty, now small ice break to the Langtauferer Ferner . The barely recognizable border to the Kesselwandferner in the east is the Kesselwandjoch , which is completely covered by ice and represents a so-called ice divide . There is also a connection to the Weißseeferner : between the Weißseespitze and its northeastern pre-summit, the Zahn, the plateau of the Gepatschferners breaks off to the Weißseeferner to the northwest.
expansion
Together with the Kesselwandferner , the Gepatschferner forms the largest contiguous glacier area in Austria with 18 km². The main stream of the Gepatschferner initially moves about 6 km north, then 3 km in a 90 ° bend to the west. The glacier runoff at an altitude of around 2080 m is formed by the Gepatschbach , which flows into a reservoir, the Gepatsch reservoir . The maximum thickness of the glacier tongue was 250 m in 1996.
Glacier level and decline due to climate change
Apart from medieval advances, the Gepatschferner peaked in 1850. This year marks the end of the so-called Little Ice Age . 1920, 22, 1977–1988 there were brief advances, some over 70 m, but since 1850 there has been a general decline of 50%, as with most of the other Eastern Alpine glaciers. For several years the Gepatschferner has been the fastest receding glacier in Austria, in 2014/15 the decrease was 121.5 m, in the season 2016/2017 it was 125.0 m
Controversial use as a ski area
In order to maintain tourism even in times of uncertain snow conditions in lower-lying ski areas, plans have been making since 2002 to expand the existing Kaunertal Glacier ski area in the northwest of the Gepatschferner. This expansion intervenes in the glacier landscape through the construction of roads, lifts, buildings, supply and disposal and other infrastructure. According to many alpine associations, especially the Austrian Alpine Association, this is incompatible with the Austrian Nature Conservation Act . They see a massive destruction of the landscape and call for protests.
map
- Alpine club map sheet 30/2, 1: 25,000, Ötztal Alps, Weißkugel, ISBN 3-928777-39-4
Individual evidence
- ^ WGMS: Fluctuations of Glaciers Database. World Glacier Monitoring Service, Zurich 2012 ( doi: 10.5904 / wgms-fog-2012-11 ), accessed on February 7, 2013
- ↑ M. Mergili: Compilation of the changes in length of the Austrian glaciers 1970–2013. ( online ( Memento of the original from January 27, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this note. ). Based on: Austrian Alpine Association: Glacier Reports. Collective reports on the glacier measurements of the Austrian Alpine Club from 1971 to 2011. Compiled by H. Kinzl, G. Patzelt, A. Fischer. In: Messages from the Austrian Alpine Club / Uphill. Volume 27-67. Retrieved April 30, 2013
- ↑ a b c d e Lea Hartl: The Gepatschferner from 1850-2006. Changes in Length, Area and Volume in Relation to Climate. Diploma thesis, Innsbruck 2011 ( online ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this note .; PDF; 20.5 MB)
- ^ University of Vienna, Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics: Seismic ice thickness measurements of Austrian glaciers. In: Archive for deposit research of the Federal Geological Institute. Vienna 1987, Volume 8, p. 27f ( online ; PDF file; 320 kB)
- ^ Austrian Academy of Sciences: The future of the Austrian glaciers. April 2009 ( Memento of the original from February 5, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Alexander Hunderpfund: Zum Gepatsch. Uphill, February 2008 ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ glacier report of the PES , February 2016
- ↑ Glacier Report of the Alpine Club: Largest loss of length since 1960. April 9, 2018, accessed on March 6, 2019 (German).
- ^ Website of the PES on the planned ski area ( memento of the original from November 1, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Accessed October 8, 2012
Web links
- Investigation of the University of Graz ( Memento of 17 February 2009 at the Internet Archive )