Conditions of spatiotemporal variability of the thickness of the ice cover on lakes in the Tatra Mountains

Abstract

This research aimed to identify the impact of local climatic and topographic conditions on the formation and development of the ice cover in highmountain lakes and the representativeness assessment of periodic point measurements of the ice cover thickness by taking into consideration the role of the avalanches on the icing of the lakes. Field works included measurement of the ice and snow cover thickness of seven lakes situated in the Tatra Mountains (UNESCO biosphere reserve) at the beginning and the end of the 2017/2018 winter season. In addition, morphometric, topographic and daily meteorological data of lakes from local IMGW (Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management) stations and satellite images were used. The obtained results enabled us to quantify the impact of the winter eolian snow accumulation on the variation in ice thickness. This variation was ranging from several centimetres up to about 2 meters and had a tendency to increase during the winter season. The thickest ice covers occurred in the most shaded places in the direct vicinity of rock walls. The obtained results confirm a dominating role of the snow cover in the variation of the ice thickness within individual lakes.