A mission in science

Mission

My field of interest in research covers a broad range of issues, with particular focus upon impact of ongoing and prospective climate change on water resources, natural hazard, agriculture, and cryosphere, with applications in the European Alps, the Andes, the Hindu-Kush Karakorum the Himalaya, the Caribbeans, Cuba, Haiti, Indonesia, Africa. See Word Cloud above.

Together with Climate-Lab crew I pursue several research projects, also in cooperation with several water agencies, and research bodies. Also hydrologic design, and flood assessment of hydraulic structures (dams, reservoirs) under ecological constraints, and climate change is a core activity of our group.

Our mission is to expand knowledge of our water-world, assess the effect of ongoing, and future climate change, and develop adaptation strategies to preserve water, ecology, and the environment.

Find here more on my activity in science

R-GATE Daniele Bocchiola

Google Scholar Daniele Bocchiola

Exploring future vulnerabilities of subalpine Italian regulated lakes under different climate scenarios: bottom‐up vs top-down and CMIP5 vs CMIP6Lake Como watershed, between Northern Italy and Switzerland (Europe).We analyse the potential vulnerabilities of existing water management practice in…

Recent achievements

Soil erosion and sediment transport under climate change for Mera River, in Italian Alps of ValchiavennaErosion is a main form of soil degradation, with severe consequences on slope stability and productivity, and erosion studies are required to predict …

Modeling snowmelt influence on shallow landslides in Tartano valley, Italian AlpsShallow landslides (SLs) are rapid soil mass movements, typically occurring in the mountain areas, involving the most superficial soil layers up to 5 …

Field Study of Mass Balance, and Hydrology of the West Khangri Nup Glacier (Khumbu, Everest)The depiction of glaciers’ dynamics in the high altitudes of Himalaya and the hydrological fluxes therein is often limited. Although sparse seasonal (snow/ice) melt data may be available, dense precipitation networks are not available everywhere, and especially in the highest area, and the assessment of accumulation processes and mass balance may be difficult. Hydrological fluxes are little measured in the high altitudes, and few studies are available covering flow modeling and flow partitioning. Here, we investigate the snow accumulation, ice melt, and mass balance of West Khangri Nup (WKN) glacier (0.23 km2, mean altitude 5494 m asl), which is a part of the Khumbu glacier in the Everest region, where information of precipitation and hydro-glaciological dynamics in the highest altitudes was made available recently in fulfillment of several research projects. Weather, glaciological, snow pits, hydrologic, and isotopic data gathered during field campaigns (2010–2014) on the glacier and at the EVK2CNR Pyramid site were used to (i) set up the Poli-Hydro glacio-hydrological model to describe ice and snow melt and hydrological flows from the glacier, and (ii) investigate seasonal snow dynamics on this high region of the glacier. Coupling ice ablation data and Poli-Hydro simulation for ca. 5 years (January 2010–June 2014), we estimate that the WKN depleted ca. −10.46 m of ice water equivalent per year m IWE year−1 (i.e., annually ca. −2.32 meter of water equivalent per year m WE year−1). Then, using snowpack density and isotopic (δ18O) profiles on the WKN, we demonstrate that the local snowpack is recent (Fall–Winter 2013–2014) and that significant snow accumulation did not occur recently, so this area has not been a significant one of accumulation recently. Analysis of recent snow cover from LANDSAT images also confirms snow dynamics as depicted. Our study presents original data and results, and it complements present studies covering glaciers’ mass balance as well as an investigation of accumulation zones in the Everest region and the Himalayas, which is also potentially helpful in the assessment of future dynamics under ongoing climate change.

Assessment of Recent Flow, and Calving Rate of the Perito Moreno Glacier Using LANDSAT and SENTINEL2 ImagesWe mapped flow velocity and calving rates of the iconic Perito Moreno Glacier (PMG), belonging to the Southern Patagonian Icefield (SPI) in the Argentinian Patagonia. We tracked PMG from 2001 to 2017, focusing mostly upon the latest images from 2016–2017. PMG delivers about ca. 106 m3 day−1 of ice in the Lago Argentino, and its front periodically reaches the Peninsula Magallanes. Therein, the PMG causes an ice-dam, clogging Brazo Rico channel, and lifting water level by about 10 m, until ice-dam failure, normally occurring in March. Here, we used 36 pairs of satellite images with a resolution of 10 m (SENTINEL2, visible, 9 pairs of images) and 15 m (LANDSAT imagery, panchromatic, 27 pairs of images) to calculate surface velocity (VS). We used Orientation Correlation technique, implemented via the ImGRAFT® TemplateMatch tool. Calving rates were then calculated with two methods, namely, (i) M1, by ice flow through the glacier front, and (ii) M2, by ice flow at 7.5 km upstream of the front minus ablation losses. Surface velocity ranged from about 4 m day−1 in the accumulation area to about 2 m day−1 in the calving front, but it is variable seasonally with maxima in the summer (December–January–February). Calving rate (CRM) ranges from 7.72 × 105 ± 32% to 8.76 × 105 ± 31% m3 day−1, in line with recent studies, also with maxima in the summer. We found slightly lower flow velocity and calving rates than previously published values, but our estimates cover a different period, and a generally large uncertainty in flow assessment suggests a recent overall stability of the glacier.

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