Geographical environment of the Alps

The climate of the Alps has become the dividing line between the temperate continental climate of central Europe and the subtropical climate of southern Europe. The mountain climate is cool in winter and warm in summer. Roughly for every 200 meters of elevation, the temperature drops by 1°C. At an altitude of 2,000 meters, the annual average temperature is 0°C. There is a lot of humidity throughout the Alps. Annual precipitation is generally 1,200 to 2,000 mm. The maximum precipitation zone is around 3,000 meters above sea level. The annual precipitation in the marginal areas differs greatly from that in the interior of the mountains. Above 3,200 meters above sea level are snow-covered areas all year round. Foehn winds often occur in the Alps, causing rapid melting of ice and snow or avalanches, causing disasters.

The location of the Alps, as well as the vastly different elevations and orientations of each mountain range, makes the climate extremely different not only between these different small mountain ranges, but also within a specific small mountain range. Because the Alps are located in central Europe, they are affected by four major climate factors; relatively mild, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean flows from the west; cool or cold polar air moves down from Northern Europe; continental air masses control the east, with dry and cold winters and cold summers. Hot; warm Mediterranean air flows from the south to the north. The wide differences in temperature and annual precipitation are related to the physical geography of the Alps. The valley floor is particularly noticeable because it is warmer and drier than the surrounding highlands. At altitudes above 1,524 meters (5,000 feet), winter precipitation is almost all snow, and the snow depth is generally 3 to 10 meters (10 to 33 feet) or more than 10 meters. At an altitude of 2,012 meters (6,600 feet), The snow lasts from about mid-November to the end of May, and usually the mountain passes are blocked by snow. In the mountains along the Mediterranean coast, the average temperature in January at the valley bottom is -5~4℃ (23~39℉), even as high as 8℃ (46℉), and the average temperature in July is 15~24℃ (59~75℉). Temperature inversions are common, especially during autumn and winter; valleys are often filled with dense fog and sluggish, dull air for several days in a row. At these times, areas above 1,006 meters (3,300 feet) may be warmer and sunnier than low-lying valley floors. Wind can play a significant role in the day's weather and local microclimate. The Alps are the largest mountain glacier centers in Europe. The mountainous area is covered with ice sheets up to 1 kilometer thick. Various types of glacial landforms are well developed, and ice erosion landforms are particularly typical. There are also more than 1,200 modern glaciers, with a total area of ??about 4,000 square kilometers. The Aletsch Glacier in southwest Switzerland at the foothills of the Central Alps is the largest, with a length of about 22.5 kilometers and an area of ??about 130 square kilometers.

The annual precipitation in mountainous areas is generally 1200 to 2000 mm, but it varies from place to place. The maximum precipitation zone is around 3,000 meters above sea level. The annual precipitation in the high mountainous areas exceeds 2,500 mm, while the annual precipitation in the leeward slope mountain valleys is only 750 mm.

The Swiss-Italian border from the Great St. Bernard Pass area east of Mont Blanc to the Splugen Pass area north of Lake Como There are some larger lakes. To the south are Lake Como and Lake Maggiore (part of the Po River drainage system); to the north are Lake Thun, Lake Brienz and Lake Lucerne.

In the Eastern Alps in Italy, Lake Garda flows into the Po River, while the Adige, Piave, and Tagliamento rivers ( Taliamento) and the Isonzo river (Isonzo) flow into the Gulf of Venice.

The Inn, Lech and Isar rivers in Germany and the Salzach and Enns rivers in Austria all flow into the Alps The Danube River north of the mountains, while the Mur and Drau rivers in Austria and the Sava river in Slovenia all flow into the Danube river east and southeast of the Alps.