Articles | Volume 11, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-133-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-133-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Brief communication
| 
18 Jan 2017
Brief communication |
| 18 Jan 2017
Brief communication: Thinning of debris-covered and debris-free glaciers in a warming climate
Argha Banerjee
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Earth and Climate Science, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
Related authors
Imtiyaz Ahmad Bhat, Irfan Rashid, RAAJ Ramsankaran, Argha Banerjee, and Saurabh Vijay
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-522, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-522, 2024
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
A comprehensive rock glacier inventory (n = 5492) has been generated through manual delineation in a GIS environment for the western Himalayan region. The inventory has characterized each rock glacier with 22 attributes following the standard protocols. This inventory shall serve as a baseline for the future research related to rock glacier dynamics, their hydrological contribution and response to climate change.
Sourav Laha, Argha Banerjee, Ajit Singh, Parmanand Sharma, and Meloth Thamban
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 627–645, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-627-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-627-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
A model study of two Himalayan catchments reveals that the summer runoff from the glacierized parts of the catchments responds strongly to temperature forcing and is insensitive to precipitation forcing. The runoff from the non-glacierized parts has the exact opposite behaviour. The interannual variability and decadal changes of runoff under a warming climate is determined by the response of glaciers to temperature forcing and that of off-glacier areas to precipitation perturbations.
Sourav Laha, Argha Banerjee, Ajit Singh, Parmanand Sharma, and Meloth Thamban
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2021-499, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2021-499, 2021
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
A study of two glacierised Himalayan catchments reveals that the summer runoff from the glacierised parts of the catchments responds strongly to temperature forcing and is stable to precipitation forcing, while that of the non-glacierised parts has an exactly opposite behaviour. The pattern of changes in mean runoff and its variability under a warming climate is determined by the response of glaciers to temperature forcing, and that of off-glacier areas to precipitation perturbations.
Argha Banerjee, Disha Patil, and Ajinkya Jadhav
The Cryosphere, 14, 3235–3247, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3235-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3235-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Simple models of glacier dynamics based on volume–area scaling underestimate climate sensitivity and response time of glaciers. Consequently, they may predict a faster response and a smaller long-term glacier loss. These biases in scaling models are established theoretically and are analysed in detail by simulating the step response of a set of 703 Himalayan glaciers separately by three different models: a scaling model, a 2-D shallow-ice approximation model, and a linear-response model.
A. Banerjee and R. Shankar
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tcd-8-641-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tcd-8-641-2014, 2014
Revised manuscript not accepted
Imtiyaz Ahmad Bhat, Irfan Rashid, RAAJ Ramsankaran, Argha Banerjee, and Saurabh Vijay
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-522, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-522, 2024
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
A comprehensive rock glacier inventory (n = 5492) has been generated through manual delineation in a GIS environment for the western Himalayan region. The inventory has characterized each rock glacier with 22 attributes following the standard protocols. This inventory shall serve as a baseline for the future research related to rock glacier dynamics, their hydrological contribution and response to climate change.
Sourav Laha, Argha Banerjee, Ajit Singh, Parmanand Sharma, and Meloth Thamban
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 627–645, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-627-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-627-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
A model study of two Himalayan catchments reveals that the summer runoff from the glacierized parts of the catchments responds strongly to temperature forcing and is insensitive to precipitation forcing. The runoff from the non-glacierized parts has the exact opposite behaviour. The interannual variability and decadal changes of runoff under a warming climate is determined by the response of glaciers to temperature forcing and that of off-glacier areas to precipitation perturbations.
Sourav Laha, Argha Banerjee, Ajit Singh, Parmanand Sharma, and Meloth Thamban
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2021-499, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2021-499, 2021
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
A study of two glacierised Himalayan catchments reveals that the summer runoff from the glacierised parts of the catchments responds strongly to temperature forcing and is stable to precipitation forcing, while that of the non-glacierised parts has an exactly opposite behaviour. The pattern of changes in mean runoff and its variability under a warming climate is determined by the response of glaciers to temperature forcing, and that of off-glacier areas to precipitation perturbations.
Argha Banerjee, Disha Patil, and Ajinkya Jadhav
The Cryosphere, 14, 3235–3247, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3235-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3235-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Simple models of glacier dynamics based on volume–area scaling underestimate climate sensitivity and response time of glaciers. Consequently, they may predict a faster response and a smaller long-term glacier loss. These biases in scaling models are established theoretically and are analysed in detail by simulating the step response of a set of 703 Himalayan glaciers separately by three different models: a scaling model, a 2-D shallow-ice approximation model, and a linear-response model.
A. Banerjee and R. Shankar
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tcd-8-641-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tcd-8-641-2014, 2014
Revised manuscript not accepted
Related subject area
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Thinning and surface mass balance patterns of two neighbouring debris-covered glaciers in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau
Everest South Col Glacier did not thin during the period 1984–2017
Meltwater runoff and glacier mass balance in the high Arctic: 1991–2022 simulations for Svalbard
Impact of tides on calving patterns at Kronebreen, Svalbard – insights from three-dimensional ice dynamical modelling
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Ice cliff contribution to the tongue-wide ablation of Changri Nup Glacier, Nepal, central Himalaya
Effects of undercutting and sliding on calving: a global approach applied to Kronebreen, Svalbard
Surface lowering of the debris-covered area of Kanchenjunga Glacier in the eastern Nepal Himalaya since 1975, as revealed by Hexagon KH-9 and ALOS satellite observations
Initiation of a major calving event on the Bowdoin Glacier captured by UAV photogrammetry
Calving localization at Helheim Glacier using multiple local seismic stations
Frontal destabilization of Stonebreen, Edgeøya, Svalbard
Spatial variability in mass loss of glaciers in the Everest region, central Himalayas, between 2000 and 2015
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Recent changes in area and thickness of Torngat Mountain glaciers (northern Labrador, Canada)
Concentration, sources and light absorption characteristics of dissolved organic carbon on a medium-sized valley glacier, northern Tibetan Plateau
3-D surface properties of glacier penitentes over an ablation season, measured using a Microsoft Xbox Kinect
Rapid glacial retreat on the Kamchatka Peninsula during the early 21st century
Reduced melt on debris-covered glaciers: investigations from Changri Nup Glacier, Nepal
Basal buoyancy and fast-moving glaciers: in defense of analytic force balance
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Ablation from calving and surface melt at lake-terminating Bridge Glacier, British Columbia, 1984–2013
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Modelling glacier change in the Everest region, Nepal Himalaya
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The Brunt Ice Shelf has accelerated rapidly after calving an iceberg in January 2023. A decade of GPS data show that the rate of acceleration in August 2023 was 30 times higher than before calving, and velocity has doubled in 6 months. Satellite velocity maps show the extent of the change. The acceleration is due to loss of contact between the ice shelf and a pinning point known as the McDonald Ice Rumples. The observations highlight how iceberg calving can directly impact ice shelves.
Lander Van Tricht and Philippe Huybrechts
The Cryosphere, 17, 4463–4485, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4463-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4463-2023, 2023
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We modelled the historical and future evolution of six ice masses in the Tien Shan, Central Asia, with a 3D ice-flow model under the newest climate scenarios. We show that in all scenarios the ice masses retreat significantly but with large differences. It is highlighted that, because the main precipitation occurs in spring and summer, the ice masses respond to climate change with an accelerating retreat. In all scenarios, the total runoff peaks before 2050, with a (drastic) decrease afterwards.
Chuanxi Zhao, Wei Yang, Evan Miles, Matthew Westoby, Marin Kneib, Yongjie Wang, Zhen He, and Francesca Pellicciotti
The Cryosphere, 17, 3895–3913, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3895-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3895-2023, 2023
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This paper quantifies the thinning and surface mass balance of two neighbouring debris-covered glaciers in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau during different seasons, based on high spatio-temporal resolution UAV-derived (unpiloted aerial
vehicle) data and in situ observations. Through a comparison approach and high-precision results, we identify that the glacier dynamic and debris thickness are strongly related to the future fate of the debris-covered glaciers in this region.
Fanny Brun, Owen King, Marion Réveillet, Charles Amory, Anton Planchot, Etienne Berthier, Amaury Dehecq, Tobias Bolch, Kévin Fourteau, Julien Brondex, Marie Dumont, Christoph Mayer, Silvan Leinss, Romain Hugonnet, and Patrick Wagnon
The Cryosphere, 17, 3251–3268, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3251-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3251-2023, 2023
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The South Col Glacier is a small body of ice and snow located on the southern ridge of Mt. Everest. A recent study proposed that South Col Glacier is rapidly losing mass. In this study, we examined the glacier thickness change for the period 1984–2017 and found no thickness change. To reconcile these results, we investigate wind erosion and surface energy and mass balance and find that melt is unlikely a dominant process, contrary to previous findings.
Louise Steffensen Schmidt, Thomas Vikhamar Schuler, Erin Emily Thomas, and Sebastian Westermann
The Cryosphere, 17, 2941–2963, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2941-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2941-2023, 2023
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Here, we present high-resolution simulations of glacier mass balance (the gain and loss of ice over a year) and runoff on Svalbard from 1991–2022, one of the fastest warming regions in the Arctic. The simulations are created using the CryoGrid community model. We find a small overall loss of mass over the simulation period of −0.08 m yr−1 but with no statistically significant trend. The average runoff was found to be 41 Gt yr−1, with a significant increasing trend of 6.3 Gt per decade.
Felicity A. Holmes, Eef van Dongen, Riko Noormets, Michał Pętlicki, and Nina Kirchner
The Cryosphere, 17, 1853–1872, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1853-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1853-2023, 2023
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Glaciers which end in bodies of water can lose mass through melting below the waterline, as well as by the breaking off of icebergs. We use a numerical model to simulate the breaking off of icebergs at Kronebreen, a glacier in Svalbard, and find that both melting below the waterline and tides are important for iceberg production. In addition, we compare the modelled glacier front to observations and show that melting below the waterline can lead to undercuts of up to around 25 m.
Sajid Ghuffar, Owen King, Grégoire Guillet, Ewelina Rupnik, and Tobias Bolch
The Cryosphere, 17, 1299–1306, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1299-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1299-2023, 2023
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The panoramic cameras (PCs) on board Hexagon KH-9 satellite missions from 1971–1984 captured very high-resolution stereo imagery with up to 60 cm spatial resolution. This study explores the potential of this imagery for glacier mapping and change estimation. The high resolution of KH-9PC leads to higher-quality DEMs which better resolve the accumulation region of glaciers in comparison to the KH-9 mapping camera, and KH-9PC imagery can be useful in several Earth observation applications.
Ann-Sofie Priergaard Zinck and Aslak Grinsted
The Cryosphere, 16, 1399–1407, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1399-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1399-2022, 2022
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The Müller Ice Cap will soon set the scene for a new drilling project. To obtain an ice core with stratified layers and a good time resolution, thickness estimates are necessary for the planning. Here we present a new and fast method of estimating ice thicknesses from sparse data and compare it to an existing ice flow model. We find that the new semi-empirical method is insensitive to mass balance, is computationally fast, and provides good fits when compared to radar measurements.
Whyjay Zheng
The Cryosphere, 16, 1431–1445, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1431-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1431-2022, 2022
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A glacier can speed up when surface water reaches the glacier's bottom via crevasses and reduces sliding friction. This paper builds up a physical model and finds that thick and fast-flowing glaciers are sensitive to this friction disruption. The data from Greenland and Austfonna (Svalbard) glaciers over 20 years support the model prediction. To estimate the projected sea-level rise better, these sensitive glaciers should be frequently monitored for potential future instabilities.
Gregoire Guillet, Owen King, Mingyang Lv, Sajid Ghuffar, Douglas Benn, Duncan Quincey, and Tobias Bolch
The Cryosphere, 16, 603–623, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-603-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-603-2022, 2022
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Surging glaciers show cyclical changes in flow behavior – between slow and fast flow – and can have drastic impacts on settlements in their vicinity.
One of the clusters of surging glaciers worldwide is High Mountain Asia (HMA).
We present an inventory of surging glaciers in HMA, identified from satellite imagery. We show that the number of surging glaciers was underestimated and that they represent 20 % of the area covered by glaciers in HMA, before discussing new physics for glacier surges.
Thomas Frank, Henning Åkesson, Basile de Fleurian, Mathieu Morlighem, and Kerim H. Nisancioglu
The Cryosphere, 16, 581–601, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-581-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-581-2022, 2022
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The shape of a fjord can promote or inhibit glacier retreat in response to climate change. We conduct experiments with a synthetic setup under idealized conditions in a numerical model to study and quantify the processes involved. We find that friction between ice and fjord is the most important factor and that it is possible to directly link ice discharge and grounding line retreat to fjord topography in a quantitative way.
Wenfeng Chen, Tandong Yao, Guoqing Zhang, Fei Li, Guoxiong Zheng, Yushan Zhou, and Fenglin Xu
The Cryosphere, 16, 197–218, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-197-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-197-2022, 2022
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A digital elevation model (DEM) is a prerequisite for estimating regional glacier thickness. Our study first compared six widely used global DEMs over the glacierized Tibetan Plateau by using ICESat-2 (Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite) laser altimetry data. Our results show that NASADEM had the best accuracy. We conclude that NASADEM would be the best choice for ice-thickness estimation over the Tibetan Plateau through an intercomparison of four ice-thickness inversion models.
Aurel Perşoiu, Nenad Buzjak, Alexandru Onaca, Christos Pennos, Yorgos Sotiriadis, Monica Ionita, Stavros Zachariadis, Michael Styllas, Jure Kosutnik, Alexandru Hegyi, and Valerija Butorac
The Cryosphere, 15, 2383–2399, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2383-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2383-2021, 2021
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Extreme precipitation events in summer 2019 led to catastrophic loss of cave and surface ice in SE Europe at levels unprecedented during the last century. The projected continuous warming and increase in precipitation extremes could pose an additional threat to glaciers in southern Europe, resulting in a potentially ice-free SE Europe by the middle of the next decade (2035 CE).
Naomi E. Ochwat, Shawn J. Marshall, Brian J. Moorman, Alison S. Criscitiello, and Luke Copland
The Cryosphere, 15, 2021–2040, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2021-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2021-2021, 2021
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In May 2018 we drilled into Kaskawulsh Glacier to study how it is being affected by climate warming and used models to investigate the evolution of the firn since the 1960s. We found that the accumulation zone has experienced increased melting that has refrozen as ice layers and has formed a perennial firn aquifer. These results better inform climate-induced changes on northern glaciers and variables to take into account when estimating glacier mass change using remote-sensing methods.
Tanja Schlemm and Anders Levermann
The Cryosphere, 15, 531–545, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-531-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-531-2021, 2021
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Ice loss from Greenland and Antarctica is often cloaked by a mélange of icebergs and sea ice. Here we provide a simple method to parametrize the resulting back stress on the ice flow for large-scale projection models.
Morgan E. Monz, Peter J. Hudleston, David J. Prior, Zachary Michels, Sheng Fan, Marianne Negrini, Pat J. Langhorne, and Chao Qi
The Cryosphere, 15, 303–324, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-303-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-303-2021, 2021
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We present full crystallographic orientations of warm, coarse-grained ice deformed in a shear setting, enabling better characterization of how crystals in glacial ice preferentially align as ice flows. A commonly noted c-axis pattern, with several favored orientations, may result from bias due to overcounting large crystals with complex 3D shapes. A new sample preparation method effectively increases the sample size and reduces bias, resulting in a simpler pattern consistent with the ice flow.
Ian Joughin, David E. Shean, Benjamin E. Smith, and Dana Floricioiu
The Cryosphere, 14, 211–227, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-211-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-211-2020, 2020
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Jakobshavn Isbræ, considered to be Greenland's fastest glacier, has varied its speed and thinned dramatically since the 1990s. Here we examine the glacier's behaviour over the last decade to better understand this behaviour. We find that when the floating ice (mélange) in front of the glacier freezes in place during the winter, it can control the glacier's speed and thinning rate. A recently colder ocean has strengthened this mélange, allowing the glacier to recoup some of its previous losses.
Andreas Köhler, Michał Pętlicki, Pierre-Marie Lefeuvre, Giuseppa Buscaino, Christopher Nuth, and Christian Weidle
The Cryosphere, 13, 3117–3137, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3117-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3117-2019, 2019
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Ice loss at the front of glaciers can be observed with high temporal resolution using seismometers. We combine seismic and underwater sound measurements of iceberg calving at Kronebreen, a glacier in Svalbard, with laser scanning of the glacier front. We develop a method to determine calving ice loss directly from seismic and underwater calving signals. This allowed us to quantify the contribution of calving to the total ice loss at the glacier front, which also includes underwater melting.
Akiko Sakai
The Cryosphere, 13, 2043–2049, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2043-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2043-2019, 2019
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The Glacier Area Mapping for Discharge from the Asian Mountains (GAMDAM) glacier inventory was updated to revise the underestimated glacier area in the first version. The total number and area of glaciers are 134 770 and 100 693 ± 11 790 km2 from 453 Landsat images, which were carefully selected for the period from 1990 to 2010, to avoid mountain shadow, cloud cover, and seasonal snow cover.
Fanny Brun, Patrick Wagnon, Etienne Berthier, Joseph M. Shea, Walter W. Immerzeel, Philip D. A. Kraaijenbrink, Christian Vincent, Camille Reverchon, Dibas Shrestha, and Yves Arnaud
The Cryosphere, 12, 3439–3457, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3439-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3439-2018, 2018
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On debris-covered glaciers, steep ice cliffs experience dramatically enhanced melt compared with the surrounding debris-covered ice. Using field measurements, UAV data and submetre satellite imagery, we estimate the cliff contribution to 2 years of ablation on a debris-covered tongue in Nepal, carefully taking into account ice dynamics. While they occupy only 7 to 8 % of the tongue surface, ice cliffs contributed to 23 to 24 % of the total tongue ablation.
Dorothée Vallot, Jan Åström, Thomas Zwinger, Rickard Pettersson, Alistair Everett, Douglas I. Benn, Adrian Luckman, Ward J. J. van Pelt, Faezeh Nick, and Jack Kohler
The Cryosphere, 12, 609–625, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-609-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-609-2018, 2018
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This paper presents a new perspective on the role of ice dynamics and ocean interaction in glacier calving processes applied to Kronebreen, a tidewater glacier in Svalbard. A global modelling approach includes ice flow modelling, undercutting estimation by a combination of glacier energy balance and plume modelling as well as calving by a discrete particle model. We show that modelling undercutting is necessary and calving is influenced by basal friction velocity and geometry.
Damodar Lamsal, Koji Fujita, and Akiko Sakai
The Cryosphere, 11, 2815–2827, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2815-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2815-2017, 2017
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This study presents the geodetic mass balance of Kanchenjunga Glacier, a heavily debris-covered glacier in the easternmost Nepal Himalaya, between 1975 and 2010 using high-resolution DEMs. The rate of elevation change positively correlates with elevation and glacier velocity, and significant surface lowering is observed at supraglacial ponds. A difference in pond density would strongly affect the different geodetic mass balances of the Kanchenjunga and Khumbu glaciers.
Guillaume Jouvet, Yvo Weidmann, Julien Seguinot, Martin Funk, Takahiro Abe, Daiki Sakakibara, Hakime Seddik, and Shin Sugiyama
The Cryosphere, 11, 911–921, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-911-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-911-2017, 2017
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In this study, we combine UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) images taken over the Bowdoin Glacier, north-western Greenland, and a model describing the viscous motion of ice to track the propagation of crevasses responsible for the collapse of large icebergs at the glacier-ocean front (calving). This new technique allows us to explain the systematic calving pattern observed in spring and summer of 2015 and anticipate a possible rapid retreat in the future.
M. Jeffrey Mei, David M. Holland, Sridhar Anandakrishnan, and Tiantian Zheng
The Cryosphere, 11, 609–618, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-609-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-609-2017, 2017
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We determine a method to locate calving at Helheim Glacier. By using local seismometers, we are able to find the calving location at a much higher precision than previous studies. The signal–onset time differences at four local seismic stations are used to determine possible seismic-wave origins. We present a catalogue of 12 calving events from 2014 to 2015, which shows that calving preferentially happens at the northern end of Helheim Glacier, which will help to constrain models of calving.
Tazio Strozzi, Andreas Kääb, and Thomas Schellenberger
The Cryosphere, 11, 553–566, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-553-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-553-2017, 2017
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The strong atmospheric warming observed since the 1990s in polar regions requires quantifying the contribution to sea level rise of glaciers and ice caps, but for large areas we do not have much information on ice dynamic fluctuations. The recent increase in satellite data opens up new possibilities to monitor ice flow. We observed over Stonebreen on Edgeøya (Svalbard) a strong increase since 2012 in ice surface velocity along with a decrease in volume and an advance in frontal extension.
Owen King, Duncan J. Quincey, Jonathan L. Carrivick, and Ann V. Rowan
The Cryosphere, 11, 407–426, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-407-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-407-2017, 2017
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We used multiple digital elevation models to quantify melt on 32 glaciers in the Everest region of the Himalayas. We examined whether patterns of melt differed depending on whether the glacier terminated on land or in water. We found that glaciers terminating in large lakes had the highest melt rates, but that those terminating in small lakes had comparable melt rates to those terminating on land. We carried out this research because Himalayan people are highly dependent on glacier meltwater.
Torbjørn Ims Østby, Thomas Vikhamar Schuler, Jon Ove Hagen, Regine Hock, Jack Kohler, and Carleen H. Reijmer
The Cryosphere, 11, 191–215, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-191-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-191-2017, 2017
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We present modelled climatic mass balance for all glaciers in Svalbard for the period 1957–2014 at 1 km resolution using a coupled surface energy balance and snowpack model, thereby closing temporal and spatial gaps in direct and geodetic mass balance estimates.
Supporting previous studies, our results indicate increased mass loss over the period.
A detailed analysis of the involved energy fluxes reveals that increased mass loss is caused by atmospheric warming further amplified by feedbacks.
Nicholas E. Barrand, Robert G. Way, Trevor Bell, and Martin J. Sharp
The Cryosphere, 11, 157–168, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-157-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-157-2017, 2017
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This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the state of small glaciers in the Canadian province of Labrador. These glaciers, the last in continental northeast North America, exist in heavily shaded locations within the remote Torngat Mountains National Park. Fieldwork, and airborne and spaceborne remote-sensing analyses were used to measure regional glacier area changes and individual glacier thinning rates. These results were then linked to trends in prevailing climatic conditions.
Fangping Yan, Shichang Kang, Chaoliu Li, Yulan Zhang, Xiang Qin, Yang Li, Xiaopeng Zhang, Zhaofu Hu, Pengfei Chen, Xiaofei Li, Bin Qu, and Mika Sillanpää
The Cryosphere, 10, 2611–2621, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2611-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2611-2016, 2016
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DOC release of Laohugou Glacier No. 12 was 192 kg km−2 yr−1, of which 43.2 % could be decomposed and return to atmosphere as CO2 within 28 days, producing positive feedback in the warming process and influencing downstream ecosystems. Radiative forcing of snow pit DOC was calculated to be 0.43 W m−2, accounting for about 10 % of the radiative forcing caused by BC. Therefore, DOC is also a light-absorbing agent in glacierized regions, influencing the albedo of glacier surface and glacier melting.
Lindsey I. Nicholson, Michał Pętlicki, Ben Partan, and Shelley MacDonell
The Cryosphere, 10, 1897–1913, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1897-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1897-2016, 2016
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An Xbox Kinect sensor was used as a close-range surface scanner to produce the first accurate 3D surface models of spikes of snow and ice (known as penitentes) that develop in cold, dry, sunny conditions. The data collected show how penitentes develop over time and how they affect the surface roughness of a glacier. These surface models are useful inputs to modelling studies of how penitentes alter energy exchanges between the atmosphere and the surface and how this affects meltwater production.
Colleen M. Lynch, Iestyn D. Barr, Donal Mullan, and Alastair Ruffell
The Cryosphere, 10, 1809–1821, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1809-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1809-2016, 2016
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Early 21st century changes in the extent of glaciers on Kamchatka were manually mapped from satellite imagery. This revealed 673 glaciers, with a total surface area of 775.7 ± 27.9 km2 in 2000, and 738 glaciers, with a total area of 592.9 ± 20.4 km2 in 2014. This ~24 % decline in glacier surface area is considered to reflect variations in climate (particularly rising summer temperatures), though the response of individual glaciers was likely modulated by other (non-climatic) factors.
Christian Vincent, Patrick Wagnon, Joseph M. Shea, Walter W. Immerzeel, Philip Kraaijenbrink, Dibas Shrestha, Alvaro Soruco, Yves Arnaud, Fanny Brun, Etienne Berthier, and Sonam Futi Sherpa
The Cryosphere, 10, 1845–1858, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1845-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1845-2016, 2016
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Approximately 25 % of the glacierized area in the Everest region is covered by debris, yet the surface mass balance of these glaciers has not been measured directly. From terrestrial photogrammetry and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) methods, this study shows that the ablation is strongly reduced by the debris cover. The insulating effect of the debris cover has a larger effect on total mass loss than the enhanced ice ablation due to supraglacial ponds and exposed ice cliffs.
C. J. van der Veen
The Cryosphere, 10, 1331–1337, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1331-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1331-2016, 2016
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This paper evaluates the geometric force balance, with application to Byrd Glacier, Antarctica. It is concluded that this approach does not yield physically reasonable results.
Kjetil S. Aas, Thorben Dunse, Emily Collier, Thomas V. Schuler, Terje K. Berntsen, Jack Kohler, and Bartłomiej Luks
The Cryosphere, 10, 1089–1104, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1089-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1089-2016, 2016
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A high-resolution, coupled atmosphere--climatic mass balance (CMB) model is applied to Svalbard for the period 2003 to 2013. The mean CMB during this period is negative but displays large spatial and temporal variations. Comparison with observations on different scales shows a good overall model performance except for one particular glacier, where wind strongly affects the spatial patterns of CMB. The model also shows considerable sensitivity to model resolution, especially on local scales.
Ursula Weiser, Marc Olefs, Wolfgang Schöner, Gernot Weyss, and Bernhard Hynek
The Cryosphere, 10, 775–790, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-775-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-775-2016, 2016
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Geometric effects induced by tilt errors lead to erroneous measurement of snow albedo. These errors are corrected where tilts of sensors and slopes are unknown. Atmospheric parameters are taken from a nearby reference measurement or a radiation model. The developed model is fitted to the measured data to determine tilts and directions which vary daily due to changing atmospheric conditions and snow cover. The results show an obvious under- or overestimation of albedo depending on the slope direction.
M. Chernos, M. Koppes, and R. D. Moore
The Cryosphere, 10, 87–102, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-87-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-87-2016, 2016
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Ice loss from calving and surface melt is estimated at lake-terminating Bridge Glacier, British Columbia, Canada, from 1984 to 2013. Since the glacier's terminus began to float in 1991, calving has accounted for 10-25% of the glacier's total ice loss below the ELA. Overall, calving is a relatively small component of ice loss and is expected to decrease in importance in the future as the glacier retreats onto dry land. Hence, projections of future retreat remain dependent on climatic conditions.
B. Marzeion, P. W. Leclercq, J. G. Cogley, and A. H. Jarosch
The Cryosphere, 9, 2399–2404, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-2399-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-2399-2015, 2015
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We show that estimates of global glacier mass change during the 20th century, obtained from glacier-length-based reconstructions and from a glacier model driven by gridded climate observations are now consistent with each other and also with an estimate for the years 2003-2009 that is mostly based on remotely sensed data. This consistency is found throughout the entire common periods of the respective data sets. Inconsistencies of reconstructions and observations persist on regional scales.
T. Schellenberger, T. Dunse, A. Kääb, J. Kohler, and C. H. Reijmer
The Cryosphere, 9, 2339–2355, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-2339-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-2339-2015, 2015
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Kronebreen and Kongsbreen are among the fastest flowing glaciers on Svalbard, and surface speeds reached up to 3.2m d-1 at Kronebreen in summer 2013 and 2.7m d-1 at Kongsbreen in late autumn 2012 as retrieved from SAR satellite data. Both glaciers retreated significantly during the observation period, Kongsbreen up to 1800m or 2.5km2 and Kronebreen up to 850m or 2.8km2. Both glaciers are important contributors to the total dynamic mass loss from the Svalbard archipelago.
T. Smith, B. Bookhagen, and F. Cannon
The Cryosphere, 9, 1747–1759, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1747-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1747-2015, 2015
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We describe and apply a newly developed glacial mapping algorithm which uses spectral, topographic, velocity, and spatial data to quickly and accurately map glacial extents over a wide area. This method maps both clean glacier ice and debris-covered glacier tongues across diverse topographic, land cover, and spectral settings using primarily open-source tools.
C. Papasodoro, E. Berthier, A. Royer, C. Zdanowicz, and A. Langlois
The Cryosphere, 9, 1535–1550, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1535-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1535-2015, 2015
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Located at the far south (~62.5° N) of the Canadian Arctic, Grinnell and Terra Nivea Ice Caps are good climate proxies in this scarce data region. Multiple data sets (in situ, airborne and spaceborne) reveal changes in area, elevation and mass over the past 62 years. Ice wastage sharply accelerated during the last decade for both ice caps, as illustrated by the strongly negative mass balance of Terra Nivea over 2007-2014 (-1.77 ± 0.36 m a-1 w.e.). Possible climatic drivers are also discussed.
M. Trachsel and A. Nesje
The Cryosphere, 9, 1401–1414, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1401-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1401-2015, 2015
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We employ statistical models to model annual glacier mass balances of eight Scandinavian glaciers as function of summer temperature and winter precipitation.
Relative importances of winter precipitation and summer temperature vary in time.
Relative importances are influenced by AMO and NAO.
T. Abe and M. Furuya
The Cryosphere, 9, 1183–1190, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1183-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1183-2015, 2015
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Whereas glacier surge is known to often initiate in winter, we show significant winter speed-up signals in the upstream region even at quiescent surge-type glaciers in Yukon, Canada. Moreover, the winter speed-up region expanded from upstream to downstream. Given the absence of surface meltwater input in winter, we speculate the presence of englacial water storage that does not directly connect to the surface, yet can promote basal sliding through increased water pressure.
J. M. Shea, W. W. Immerzeel, P. Wagnon, C. Vincent, and S. Bajracharya
The Cryosphere, 9, 1105–1128, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1105-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1105-2015, 2015
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A glacier mass balance and redistribution model that integrates field observations and downscaled climate fields is developed to examine glacier sensitivity to future climate in the Everest region of Nepal. The modelled sensitivity of glaciers to future climate change is high, and glacier mass loss is sustained through the 21st century for both middle- and high-emission scenarios. Projected temperature increases will expose large glacier areas to melt and reduce snow accumulations.
T. Nuimura, A. Sakai, K. Taniguchi, H. Nagai, D. Lamsal, S. Tsutaki, A. Kozawa, Y. Hoshina, S. Takenaka, S. Omiya, K. Tsunematsu, P. Tshering, and K. Fujita
The Cryosphere, 9, 849–864, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-849-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-849-2015, 2015
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We present a new glacier inventory for high-mountain Asia named “Glacier Area Mapping for Discharge from the Asian Mountains” (GAMDAM). Glacier outlines were delineated manually using 356 Landsat ETM+ scenes in 226 path-row sets from the period 1999–2003, in conjunction with a digital elevation model and high-resolution Google EarthTM imagery. Our GAMDAM Glacier Inventory includes 87,084 glaciers covering a total area of 91,263 ± 13,689 km2 throughout high-mountain Asia.
A. Sakai, T. Nuimura, K. Fujita, S. Takenaka, H. Nagai, and D. Lamsal
The Cryosphere, 9, 865–880, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-865-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-865-2015, 2015
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Among meteorological elements, precipitation has a large spatial variability and less observation, particularly in high-mountain Asia, although precipitation in mountains is an important parameter for hydrological circulation. Based on the GAMDAM glacier inventory, we estimated precipitation contributing to glacier mass at the median elevation of glaciers, which is presumed to be at equilibrium-line altitude, by tuning adjustment parameters of precipitation.
J. Oerlemans and W. J. J. van Pelt
The Cryosphere, 9, 767–779, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-767-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-767-2015, 2015
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Many glaciers on Svalbard are surging glaciers. A surge is a rapid advance of the glacier snout during a few years, followed by a long period of quiescence. During the surge ice flows to lower terrain and experiences higher melt rates in summer. Here we investigate the impact of surging on the long-term effects of climate warming. We have modelled Abrahamsenbreen in northern Spitsbergen as a typical case. We show that surges tend to accelerate glacier retreat when temperature increases.
D. H. Shangguan, T. Bolch, Y. J. Ding, M. Kröhnert, T. Pieczonka, H. U. Wetzel, and S. Y. Liu
The Cryosphere, 9, 703–717, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-703-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-703-2015, 2015
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Glacier velocity, glacier area, surface elevation and mass changes of the Southern and Northern Inylchek Glacier were investigated by using multi-temporal space-borne data sets. The mass balance of both SIG and NIG was negative(-0.43 ± 0.10 m w.e. a-1 and -0.25 ± 0.10 m w.e. a-1) from ~1975 to 2007. The thinning at the lake dam was higher, likely caused by calving into Lake Merzbacher. Thus, glacier thinning and glacier flow are significantly influenced by the lake.
H. Hannesdóttir, H. Björnsson, F. Pálsson, G. Aðalgeirsdóttir, and Sv. Guðmundsson
The Cryosphere, 9, 565–585, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-565-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-565-2015, 2015
A. E. Racoviteanu, Y. Arnaud, M. W. Williams, and W. F. Manley
The Cryosphere, 9, 505–523, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-505-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-505-2015, 2015
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An overall negative glacier surface area change of 0.5±0.2% yr-1 was observed for the eastern Himalaya since 1962 based on remote sensing data. There were higher rates of area loss for clean glaciers (-34%, or -0.7% yr-1) compared to debris-covered glaciers (-14.3% or -0.3 yr-1) on a glacier-by-glacier basis. Patterns of area change are heterogenous and depend on topographic and climatic factors, glacier altitude (maximum, median, altitudinal range), glacier size, slope and aspect.
F. Brun, M. Dumont, P. Wagnon, E. Berthier, M. F. Azam, J. M. Shea, P. Sirguey, A. Rabatel, and Al. Ramanathan
The Cryosphere, 9, 341–355, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-341-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-341-2015, 2015
Cited articles
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Banerjee, A. and Azam, M. F.: Temperature reconstruction from glacier length fluctuations in the Himalaya, Ann. Glaciol., 57 (71), 189–198, 2016.
Banerjee, A. and Shankar, R.: On the response of Himalayan glaciers to climate change, J. Glaciol., 59, 480–490, 2013.
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Gardelle, J., Berthier, E., and Arnaud, Y.: Slight mass gain of Karakoram glaciers in the early twenty-first century, Nat. Geosci., 5, 322–325, 2012.
Gardelle, J., Berthier, E., Arnaud, Y., and Kääb, A.: Region-wide glacier mass balances over the Pamir-Karakoram-Himalaya during 1999–2011, The Cryosphere, 7, 1263–1286, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1263-2013, 2013.
Juen, M., Mayer, C., Lambrecht, A., Han, H., and Liu, S.: Impact of varying debris cover thickness on ablation: a case study for Koxkar Glacier in the Tien Shan, The Cryosphere, 8, 377–386, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-377-2014, 2014.
Kääb, A., Berthier, E., Nuth, C., Gardelle, J., and Arnaud, Y.: Contrasting patterns of early twenty-first-century glacier mass change in the Himalayas, Nature, 488, 495–498, 2012.
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Reid, T. D. and Brock, B. W.: Assessing ice-cliff backwasting and its contribution to total ablation of debris-covered Miage glacier, Mont Blanc massif, Italy, J. Glaciol., 60, 3–13, 2014.
Rowan, A. V., Egholm, D. L., Quincey, D. J., and Glasser, N. F.: Modelling the feedbacks between mass balance, ice flow and debris transport to predict the response to climate change of debris-covered glaciers in the Himalaya, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 430, 427–438, 2015.
Sakai, A., Takeuchi, N., Fujita, K., and Nakawo, M.: Role of supraglacial ponds in the ablation process of a debris-covered glacier in the Nepal Himalayas, IAHS Publ. 265, 119–132, 2000.
Scherler, D., Bookhagen, B., and Strecker, M. R.: Spatially variable response of Himalayan glaciers to climate change affected by debris cover, Nat. Geosci., 4, 156–159, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1068, 2011.
Steiner, J. F., Pellicciotti, F., Buri, P., Miles, E. S., Immerzeel, W. W., and Reid, T. D.: Modelling ice-cliff backwasting on a debris-covered glacier in the Nepalese Himalaya, J. Glaciol., 61, 889–907, 2015.
Vacco, D. A., Alley, R. B., and Pollard, D.: Glacial advance and stagnation caused by rock avalanches, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 294, 123–130, 2010.
Vincent, C., Wagnon, P., Shea, J. M., Immerzeel, W. W., Kraaijenbrink, P., Shrestha, D., Soruco, A., Arnaud, Y., Brun, F., Berthier, E., and Sherpa, S. F.: Reduced melt on debris-covered glaciers: investigations from Changri Nup Glacier, Nepal, The Cryosphere, 10, 1845–1858, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1845-2016, 2016.
Short summary
Measurements of debris-covered and debris-free glaciers in the Himalaya-Karakoram show similar decadal scale thinning, despite a suppression of melt under the debris. Using physical arguments, supported by simulations of 1-D idealised glaciers, we analyse the evolution of thinning rates on both glacier types under a warming climate. The dynamics of the emergence velocity profile control the thinning rate evolution in general and lead to the observed trends in the thinning rate data.
Measurements of debris-covered and debris-free glaciers in the Himalaya-Karakoram show similar...
