Alpine streams produce more CO2 after a warm winter

An EPFL study has for the first time measured the impact of climate change on alpine streams, and the results are quite worrying: after a low-snow winter, these streams release more carbon dioxide than they absorb. Numerous researchers are looking at the impact of climate change on the Alps. And one of the most obvious effects is the low snowfall observed in recent years. EPFL researchers have discovered that this lack of snow also has an impact on mountain streams. We have known for some ten years now that these streams, together with the Alpsâ?- lakes and rivers, release a large amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere as a naturally occurring phenomenon. But the study shows that a warm winter with little snowfall can change all this. The lack of snow means that once spring comes, the streams release more CO₂ than they absorb.