Encyclopedia of Snow, Ice and Glaciers

2011 Edition
| Editors: Vijay P. Singh, Pratap Singh, Umesh K. Haritashya

Hydropower: Hydroelectric Power Generation from Alpine Glacier Melt

Reference work entry
First Online:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2642-2_624
How to cite

Definition and introduction

Alpine glaciers act as natural reservoirs storing water in a frozen state instead of behind a dam. Glacier’s modify streamflow releasing the most runoff during the warmest, driest periods when all other sources of water for hydropower are at a minimum (Stenborg, 1970; Fountain and Tanborn, 1985). This seasonal variation characteristic mitigates low flow intervals and the dependability helps make glacier runoff a valuable water resource for hydropower (Fountain and Tangborn, 1985). Annual glacier runoff is highest in warm, dry summers and lowest during wet, cool summers, further providing a balance to alpine summer runoff, this is the glacier compensation effect (Lang, 1986). Dependable and consistent glacier runoff allows for run of river hydropower and smaller reservoir storage in glaciated basins. For long range planning minimum flows are greater and maximum flows less in glacier fed basins (Fountain and Tangborn, 1985). At the same time that glacier...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Bibliography

  1. Andreassen, L. M., Elvehøy, H., Kjøllmoen, B., Engeset, R., and Haakensen, N., 2005. Glacier mass balance and length variation in Norway. Annals of Glaciology, 42, 317–325.Google Scholar
  2. Bradley, R. S., Vuille, M., Diaz, H. F., and Vergara, W., 2005. Threats to water supplies in the tropical andes. Science, 312(5781), 1755–1756.Google Scholar
  3. Braun, L. N., Weber, M., and Schulz, M., 2000. Consequences of climate change for runoff from Alpine regions. Annals of Glaciology, 31, 19–25.Google Scholar
  4. Brugman, M. M., Raistrick, P., and Pietroniro, A., 1997. Glacier related impacts of doubling atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration on British Columbia and Yukon (Chap. 6). Environment Canada and BC Ministry of Environment, Lands, and Parks.Google Scholar
  5. Chen, J., and Ohmura, A., 1990. On the influence of Alpine glaciers on runoff. In Lang, H., and Musy, A. (eds.), Hydrology of Mountainous Regions I. Proceedings of two Lausanne Symposia, IAHS, Vol. 193, pp. 117–126.Google Scholar
  6. Collins, D. N., and Taylor, D. P., 1990. Variability of runoff from partially-glacierised Alpine basins. In Lang, H., and Musy, A. (eds.), Hydrology of Mountainous Regions I. Proceedings of two Lausanne Symposia, IAHS, Vol. 193, pp. 365–372.Google Scholar
  7. Fleming, S. W., 2005. Comparative analysis of glacial and nival streamflow regimes with implications for biotic habitat quantity and fish species richness. River Research and Applications, 21, 363–379.Google Scholar
  8. Fleming, S., and Clark, G. K. C., 2005. Attenuation of high-frequency interannual streamflow variability by watershed glacial cover. ASCE Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 131, 615–618.Google Scholar
  9. Fountain, A. G., and Tangborn, W. V., 1985. The effect of glaciers on streamflow variations. Water Resources Research, 21, 579–586.Google Scholar
  10. Hock, R., Jansson, P., and Braun, L., 2005. Modelling the response of mountain glacier discharge to climate warming. In Huber, U., Bugmann, M., and Reasoner, M. (eds.), Global Change and Mountain Regions. Dordrecht: Springer, pp. 243–252.Google Scholar
  11. Hopkinson, C., and Young, G., 1998. The effect of glacier wastage on the flow of the Bow river at Banff, Alberta, 1951–1993. Hydrological Processes, 12, 1745–1762.Google Scholar
  12. Kulkarnil, A., Rathorel, B., Mahajan, S., and Mathur, P., 2005. Alarming retreat of Parbati glacier, Beas basin, Himachal Pradesh. Current Science (IAS), 88(11), 1844–1550.Google Scholar
  13. Lang, H., 1986. Forecasting meltwater runoff from snow-covered areas and from glacier basins. In Kraijenhoff, D. A., and Moll, J. R. (eds.), River Flow Modelling and Forecasting. Reidel Publishing. Dordrecht, pp. 99–127.Google Scholar
  14. Moore, R. D., Fleming, S. W., Menounos, B., Wheate, R., Fountain, A., Stahl, K., Holm, K., and Jakob, M., 2009. Glacier Change in Western North America: Influences on Hydrology, Geomorphic Hazards and Water Quality. Hydrologic Processes, 23, 42–61.Google Scholar
  15. Normatov, I., and Petrov, G., 2006. Reservoirs and their role in social and economical development in Tajikistan and Central Asia. In Dams and Reservoirs, Societies and Environment in the 21 st Century. London: Taylor Francis Books.Google Scholar
  16. Paish, O., 2002. Small hydro power: technology and current status. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 6(6), 537–556.Google Scholar
  17. Paul, F., Kääb, A., and Haeberli, W., 2007. Recent glacier changes in the Alps observed by satellite: consequences for future monitoring strategies. Global and Planetary Change, 56, 102–111.Google Scholar
  18. Pelto, M. S., 2008. Impact of climate change on north cascade alpine glaciers, and alpine runoff. Northwest Science, 82, 65–75.Google Scholar
  19. Pelto, M. S., and Hedlund, C., 2001. The terminus behavior and response time of North Cascade glaciers. Journal of Glaciology, 47, 497–506.Google Scholar
  20. Singh, P., Haritashya, U., Kumar, N., and Singh, Y., 2006. Hydrological characteristics of the Gangotri Glacier, central Himalayas, India. Journal of Hydrology, 327, 55–67.Google Scholar
  21. Soruco, A., Vincent, C., Francou, B., Ribstein, P., Berger, T., Sicart, J. E., Wagnon, P., Arnaud, Y., Favier, V., and Lejeune, Y., 2009. Mass balance of Glaciar Zongo, Bolivia, between 1956 and 2006, using glaciological, hydrological and geodetic methods. Annals Glaciology, 50(50), 1–8, doi:10.3189/172756409787769799.Google Scholar
  22. Stahl, K., and Moore, R., 2006. Influence of watershed glacier coverage on summer streamflow in British Columbia, Canada. Water Resources Research, 42, W06201, doi:10.1029/2006WR005022.Google Scholar
  23. Stenborg, T., 1970. Delay of runoff from a glacier basin. Geografi ska Annaler, 52A, 1–30.Google Scholar
  24. Vergara, W., Deeb, A., Valencia, A., Bradley, R., Francou, B., Zarzar, A., GrÜnwaldt, A., and Haeussling, S., 2008. Economic impact of rapid glacier retreat in the Andes. EOS, 88(25), 261–262.Google Scholar
  25. WGMS, 2007. In Haeberli, W., Zemp, M., and Hoelzle, M. (eds.), Glacier Mass Balance Bulletin No. 9 (2004–2005). (World Glacier Monitoring Service, Zurich, Switzerland).Google Scholar
  26. WGMS, 2008. In Zemp, M., Roer, I., Kääb, A., Hoelzle, M., Paul, F., and Haeberli, W. (eds.), Global Glacier Changes: facts and figures. (World Glacier Monitoring Service, Zurich, Switzerland).Google Scholar
  27. Zhang, Y., Liu, S., Xu, J., and Shangguan, D., 2008. Glacier change and glacier runoff variation in the Tuotuo River basin, the source region of Yangtze River in western China. Environmental Geology, 56, 59–68.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of Environmental ScienceNichols CollegeDudleyUSA