Experiencias sobre técnicas de observación de la nieve en la sierra de Guadarrama y líneas futuras de investigación

Abstract

This work presents the findings and insights gained from decades of research on snowfall and its accumulation in mountainous regions. It focuses on the Iberian Peninsula’s Central System, a crucial region for water resource management where the impacts of Climate Change are expected to significantly reduce snowfall in the coming decades. Various methods of observation, including manual, automatic and satellite measurements, are discussed. Despite the limitations of these measurements, they have proven crucial in shedding light on the dynamics of snow. A promising new observational method is introduced and results of a test methodology in a polar region are shown. This method is expected to enhance the spatial and temporal representation of data, contributing significantly to future research in this field. Based on these previous experiences of manual and automatic monitoring, new integrating methods are expected to be developed in the future.