Summary
This three-year field study in the Eastern Italian Alps used stable isotopes and chemical tracers to quantify water source contributions to 24 stream sections in catchments with varying glacier and rock glacier coverage. The authors found that snowmelt dominated runoff (77 %), with substantial ice melt contributions from glacier-fed (23 %) and rock glacier-fed (16 %) streams, but demonstrated that rock glacier signatures can confound isotopic tracer methods and elevate trace element concentrations above drinking water thresholds.
Regional applicability
Findings are directly applicable to UK mountain catchments that contain glacier relics or rock glacier features (primarily Scotland and Wales), though UK glaciers are now much smaller than those studied. The methodological insights on tracer reliability in complex cryospheric settings are transferable to UK upland hydrology and water quality monitoring.
Key measures
δ2H, d-excess, electrical conductivity, trace element concentrations (Sr, Ni, Ba, Mn, Zn, Al), runoff components derived from end-member mixing models, annual ice melt fraction
Outcomes reported
The study quantified the relative contributions of snowmelt, rainwater, and ice melt to stream runoff in two Alpine catchments using isotopic tracers and end-member mixing models, and examined how rock glaciers affect the reliability of tracer-based hydrograph separation and trace element concentrations.
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