When glaciers melt, new lakes are formed. Can we take advantage of this? An EPFL student has studied the possibility of using these natural reservoirs to help boost hydroelectric power production in the canton Valais - and thus help Switzerland as it transitions into a future without nuclear power. The great glaciers of the Alps are melting. Several climate change scenarios, some of which are based on an average temperature increase of +4°C, predict their complete disappearance by the end of this century. As they retreat, the glaciers uncover cavities; these fill with meltwater, becoming lakes. The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) is funding a research project on the risks and possibilities of these new mountain lakes. Anton Schleiss, director of EPFL' s Hydraulic Constructions Laboratory , is participating in the project.
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