Snow and ice coverage are valuable indicators of regional climate change in temperature and precipitation. However, monitoring the decrease in snow cover and the retreat of glaciers in South Tyrol does not only reveal global warming in the Alps. It is also crucial as an information source for winter tourism and as a data layer for hydrological models that support the prediction of future water availability and the risk of floods.

The Institute for Applied Remote Sensing is currently starting activities in the field of snow and ice monitoring, both in the area of research and as an operational service supplier. From 2009 the Institute will produce a daily snow coverage map of the Alpine area based on Earth Observation data provided by their own receiving station. The potential and limitations of deriving information on the extent and volume of glacier ice in South Tyrol from aerial photos taken in the 1950s will be part of the institute's research work.