Laetitia Adam

I am a master’s student in Applied Geoinformatics with a B.Sc. in Urban Studies and a passion for city planning and mobility.

Melting Ice at Hohe Tauern National Park

Glaciers in the Alpine region are retreating. Hohe Tauern National Park in Austria is among the areas most visibly affected by this change. As one of the largest protected high-mountain landscapes in Europe, the park hosts numerous glaciers that serve as sensitive indicators of climate change. Rising air temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and prolonged melting seasons have led to a significant reduction in glacier area and volume over recent decades. This rapid glacier shrinkage is not only reshaping the alpine landscape but also influencing hydrological systems, biodiversity, and natural hazard dynamics within and beyond the park boundaries.
As part of my class in Cartography and Geomedia I wanted to raise awareness about the rapid loss of glaciers in the Alps by making scientific data accessible and understandable. Through the use of cartographic visualization and spatial analysis, glacier change over time in Hohe Tauern National Park is documented and communicated. The objective of the project is to increase knowledge among young people living in and around the National Park, a group that is currently underserved by public outreach and accessible scientific communication. By strengthening understanding of glacier dynamics and climate impacts, the project seeks to foster environmental awareness and encourage informed engagement with the challenges posed by climate change.

Take look at the story map to learn more. For best viewing experience open the story map in a new tab .


A printed paper map version complements the interactive story map. While the digital map has a slider function to see the before/after state of the glacier. The printed version comes with a transparent print of the different glacier outlines which can be overlayed. A quiz keeps the student´s attention and ensures high learning outcomes.

Paper Map

Complementary Paper Map for Class Room Settings (Own Figure)

An additional story map gives insight into the data preprocessing, target group specific decisions and design choices. For best viewing experience open the story map in a new tab .