Marco Toffolon and Sebastiano Piccolroaz, team SARLAKS, shared their insights into Lake Garda and the importance of predictive tools that can benefit not only scientific research but also the tourism industry.
Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy, plays a critical role as a natural, economic, and tourist resource. Despite its significance, the understanding of water transport processes within the lake – such as how pollutants spread, impacting water quality – remains quite limited. Wind patterns, which are essential for lake circulation, are shaped by the interaction between the water body and the region’s complex mountainous terrain.
The research team at the University of Trento’s Department of Civil, Environmental, and Mechanical Engineering (DICAM) is at the forefront of investigating the lake-atmosphere system. Their collaboration with Utrecht University, launched in 2017, includes a two-year monitoring campaign. Monthly measurements and a permanent monitoring station provide valuable data on Lake Garda’s key chemical-physical variables, including temperature, conductivity, and chlorophyll levels. These efforts not only advance scientific understanding but also offer valuable forecasting tools that could be leveraged by the local tourism industry, supporting better environmental management and visitor experiences.
For more info visit UniTrentoMAG.