National Geographic Kids - UK (2022-03)

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Grossglockner12,461 ft

3,798 m

Dachstein9,826 ft

2,995 m

Triglav9,396 ft

2,864 m

Zugspitze9,718 ft

2,962 m

12,812 ftOrtles

3,905 m

Morteratsch Glacier

PasterzeGlacier

6,562 ft2,000 m

6,562 ft2,000 m

2,000 m6,562 ft

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L. (^) C
ON
STA
NC
E
Lake^
Star
nbe
rg
Lake^ A
tter
LakeChiem
TraunLake
LakeAmmer
Lake Wörth
Lake^ G
Dinaric A lp
s
Damüls
Davos Kloster
St. Anton
PartenGarmiskirchench-
Schladming
Tauplitz
Nassfeld
Bormio
Mdi Campiglioadonna
Bad Kleinkirchheim
Semmering Cortina
Kitzsteinhorn
Kitzbühel
Niedernsill
HintergSaalbalemmch
Ischgl
Sölden
D
Salzburg
Linz
Graz
Klagenfurt
Leoben
Lienz
MUNICH
Trento
Bolzano
Innsbruck
Chur
St. Gallen
Dornbirn
Friedrichshafen
Konstanz
Padua
Trieste Venice
Ljubljana
LIECHTENSTEIN
SLOVENIA
AUSTRIA
GERMANY
GERMANY
AUSTRIA
AITALY
USTRIA
SW
AUS ITZ.
T.
AITALY
USTRIA
Hydroelectric facilities
Change in snow-cover duration
2000-2021
Generating plant,100 megawatts or more
Major winter resort
Increasing
Unchanged
Decreasing
Large dam
SCALE VARIES IN THIS PERSPECTIVE.THE ALPS SPAN NEARLY 750 MILES
ACROSS CENTRAL EUROPE.
Air
Snow
Water
Snow cannon
Buried electric
and water lines
Machine-made snow
Typical electric-powered
snow machines, invented
in the 1950s, spray water. A
fan diffuses the water into
tinier droplets that can make
snow—if the air is cold and
dry enough.
Desperation at the top
Under a worst-case climate
change scenario, it could
be ski areas at the highest
elevations that have the
greatest demand for snow
production. Lower areas may
be too warm for any snow
at all —natural or artificial.
Public and private groups are working to lessen the impact of shrinking snow-
fall. But current methods to create and preserve snow can cost millions of
dollars, consume water and energy resources, and work only on a small scale.
PRESERVING THE SNOW
Getting off the grid
Swiss engineers are innovating
a system of cables that uses
water from melting glaciers
to make snow. Water pressure
would be created by gravity
and could work without elec-
tricity in remote areas.
COMPARED WITH 1986-2005
-40% -5 40
Change in demand
for artificial snow2041-2060
0
6,500
13,000 feet
EL
EV
AT
IO
N
Aus
tria
Fra
nce
Ger
ma
ny Italy
Liec
hte
nst
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Slo
ven
ia
Swi
tze
rlan
d