Ground and Near-Rock Surface Air Thermal Regimes in the High Mountain of the Picos De Europa (Cantabrian Mountains, NW Spain)

Abstract

Even when the influence of climate on the geomorphological dynamics of mountain areas is well known, the ground and near-rock surface air thermal regimes of the highest altitude Cantabrian massifs still being poorly understood. This study, based on the examination of the thermal data obtained through the use of air and soil temperature dataloggers, aims to characterize the thermal regime of one of the most representative high mountain massifs of the Cantabrian Mountains: the Western Massif of the Picos de Europa. Results show the severe climatic conditions that prevail in the highest areas, where the snow cover lasts for 8 months on average, exerting an important insulating role of the soil. Thus, except on the uncovered rocky walls, the number of freeze-thaw cycles per year is low (0–16), with these cycles having a short duration and a low thermal amplitude. Significantly differences on annual thermal regimes have been confirmed; with two main phases (continued thaw phase and isothermal phase) and two minor transition phases at the ground, and only two main phases in near-rock surfaces (continued thaw phase and phase with a high number of FTCs).