Impact of inter- and intra-annual variation in weather parameters on mass balance and equilibrium line altitude of Naradu Glacier (Himachal Pradesh), NW Himalaya, India

AbstractDuring 1974–75 glaciologic and geologic studies were conducted on a small (0.17 km2) avalanche-nourished glacier in the North Cascade Range of Washington. The approximate equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) for this ice body, informally called “Vesper” glacier, lies at 1475 m, some 300 m below the regional ELA value. Estimated annual accumulation was 6 100±675 mm during the two years of study; 15 to 30% of this flux resulted from avalanche and wind–transported snow. Average annual ablation during the period was 5 350 mm, giving a total net balance of + 1 600 mm for the two-year study period. “Vesper” glacier persists well below the regional snow-line because of excessive local precipitation, substantial avalanche contributions, and a favourable north-facing aspect.Neoglacial moraines indicate that maximum ELA lowering in this period was approximately 165 m and occurred prior to a.d. 1670. Minor re-advances occurred during the nineteenth century. These reconnaissance measurements are consistent with the sparse geologic data reported from other glaciers in the Cascade Range. While the relationship between regional lowering of snow-line and avalanche activity is uncertain at present, these data suggest that avalanche-nourished glaciers provide a useful record of climatic fluctuations.

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Mass Balance of Four Cirque Glaciers in the Torngat Mountains of Northern Labrador, Canada

Journal of Glaciology ◽

10.3189/s0022143000015525 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 32 (111) ◽

pp. 208-218

Author(s):

Robert J. Rogerson

Keyword(s):

Mass Balance ◽

Temporal Pattern ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Spatial Variations ◽

Equilibrium Line ◽

Positive Mass ◽

Negative Mass ◽

Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽

Ice Surface ◽

Debris Cover

AbstractThe net mass balance of four small cirque glaciers (0.7–1.4 km2) in the Torngat Mountains of northern Labrador was measured for 1981–84, allowing three complete mass-balance years to be calculated. The two largest glaciers experienced positive mass-balance conditions in 1982 while all the glaciers were negative in 1983. The temporal pattern relates directly to general climatic conditions, in particular winter snowfall. Spatial variations of mass balance on the glaciers are the result of several factors including altitude, extent of supraglacial debris cover, slope, proximity to side and backwalls of the enclosing cirque, and the height of the backwall above the ice surface. Abraham Glacier, the smallest studied and with consistently the largest negative mass balance (–1.28 m in 1983), re-advanced an average of 1.2 m each year between 1981 and 1984. Mean equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) for the four glaciers is 1050 m, varying substantially from one glacier to another (+240 to –140 m) and from year to year (+60 to –30 m).

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Modelled glacier equilibrium line altitudes during the mid-Holocene in the southern mid-latitudes

Climate of the Past Discussions ◽

10.5194/cpd-11-603-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 603-636 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

C. Bravo ◽

M. Rojas ◽

B. M. Anderson ◽

A. N. Mackintosh ◽

E. Sagredo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Mass Balance ◽

Southern Hemisphere ◽

Equilibrium Line ◽

Balance Model ◽

Glacier Mass Balance ◽

Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Precipitation Changes ◽

Autumn And Winter

Abstract. Glacier behaviour during the mid-Holocene (MH, 6000 year BP) in the Southern Hemisphere provides observational data to constrain our understanding of the origin and propagation of palaeo-climatic signals. We examine the climatic forcing of glacier expansion in the MH by evaluating modelled glacier equilibrium line altitude (ELA) and climate conditions during the MH compared with pre-industrial time (PI, year 1750) in the mid latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere, specifically in Patagonia and the South Island of New Zealand. Climate conditions for the MH are obtained from PMIP2 models simulations, which in turn force a simple glacier mass balance model to simulate changes in equilibrium-line altitude during this period. Climate conditions during the MH show significantly (p ≤ 0.05) colder temperatures in summer, autumn and winter, and significantly (p ≤ 0.05) warmer temperatures in spring. These changes are a consequence of insolation differences between the two periods. Precipitation does not show significant changes, but exhibits a temporal pattern with less precipitation from August to September and more precipitation from October to April during the MH. In response to these climatic changes, glaciers in both analysed regions have an ELA that is 15–33 m lower than PI during the MH. The main causes of this difference are the colder temperature during the MH, reinforcing previous results that mid-latitude glaciers are more sensitive to temperature change compared to precipitation changes. Differences in temperature have a dual effect on mass balance. First, during summer and early autumn less energy is available for melting. Second in late autumn and winter, lower temperatures cause more precipitation to fall as snow rather than rain, resulting in more accumulation and higher surface albedo. For these reasons, we postulate that the modelled ELA changes, although small, may help to explain larger glacier extents observed in the mid Holocene in both South America and New Zealand.

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Can the Mass Balance of a Glacier be Estimated from its Equilibrium-Line Altitude?

Journal of Glaciology ◽

10.3189/s0022143000006237 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 30 (106) ◽

pp. 364-368 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Roger J. Braithwaite

Keyword(s):

Mass Balance ◽

Linear Relationship ◽

Sufficient Accuracy ◽

Statistical Analyses ◽

Equilibrium Line ◽

Model Parameters ◽

Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽

Direct Measurements ◽

Balanced Budget ◽

Two Parameters

AbstractThe possibility of replacing or supplementing direct measurements of mass balance by estimates calculated from equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) measurements is investigated by statistical analyses of data from 31 glaciers. A linear relationship between mass balance and ELA in terms of two parameters, the effective balance gradient and the balanced-budget ELA, is tested. It is concluded that existing mass-balance series can be usefully extrapolated by using ELA data for additional years. However, accurate mass balance cannot be calculated for glaciers where no such measurements have been made because of the difficulties in prescribing the two model parameters with sufficient accuracy. For example, the effective balance gradient is of the order of 5 mm water/m so that errors of only a few decametres in the estimation of the balanced-budget ELA can have a great effect upon calculations of mass balance.

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The effect of black carbon on reflectance of snow in the accumulation area of glaciers in the Baspa basin, Himachal Pradesh, India

The Cryosphere Discussions ◽

10.5194/tcd-7-1359-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 1359-1382 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

A. V. Kulkarni ◽

G. Vinay Kumar ◽

H. S. Negi ◽

J. Srinivasan ◽

S. K. Satheesh

Keyword(s):

Mass Balance ◽

Black Carbon ◽

Forest Fires ◽

Freezing Point ◽

Visible Region ◽

Himachal Pradesh ◽

Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽

Upward Migration ◽

Active Fire ◽

Small Influence

Abstract. Himalayan glaciers are being extensively debated in scientific and public forums, as changes in their distribution can significantly affect the availability of water in many rivers originating in the region. The distribution of glaciers can be influenced by mass balance, and most of the glaciers located in the Pir Panjal and Greater Himalayan mountain ranges are losing mass at the rate of almost a meter per year. The Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA) has also shifted upward by 400 m in the last two decades. This upward migration of ELA and the loss in mass could have been influenced by changes in temperature, precipitation and by the deposition of black carbon in the accumulation area of glaciers. The deposition of black carbon can reduce the albedo of snow in the accumulation area leading to faster melting of snow and causing more negative mass balance. In this investigation, a change in reflectance in the accumulation area of the Baspa basin is analysed for the year 2009, as the region has experienced extensive forest fires along with northern Indian biomass burning. The investigation has shown that: (1) The number of forest fires in the summer of 2009 was substantially higher than in any other year between 2001 and 2010; (2) the drop in reflectance in the visible region from April to May in the accumulation area was significantly higher in the year 2009 than in any other year from 2000 to 2012; (3) the temperature of the region was substantially lower than the freezing point during the active fire period of 2009, indicating the small influence of liquid water and grain size; (4) the drop in reflectance was observed only in the visible region, indicating role of contamination; (5) in the visible region, a mean drop in reflectance of 21± 5% was observed during the active fire period in the accumulation area. At some places, the drop was as high as 50 ± 5%. This can only be explained by the deposition of black carbon. The study suggests that a change in snow albedo in the accumulation area due to the deposition of black carbon from anthropogenic and natural causes can influence the mass balance of the glaciers in the Baspa basin, Himachal Pradesh, India.

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Mass Balance of “Vesper” Glacier, Washington, U.S.A.

Journal of Glaciology ◽

10.3189/s0022143000015380 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 27 (96) ◽

pp. 271-282

Author(s):

David P. Dethier ◽

Jan E. Frederick

Keyword(s):

Nineteenth Century ◽

Mass Balance ◽

Cascade Range ◽

Equilibrium Line ◽

Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽

Climatic Fluctuations ◽

The North ◽

Snow Line ◽

The Relationship ◽

Geologic Data

AbstractDuring 1974–75 glaciologic and geologic studies were conducted on a small (0.17 km2) avalanche-nourished glacier in the North Cascade Range of Washington. The approximate equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) for this ice body, informally called “Vesper” glacier, lies at 1475 m, some 300 m below the regional ELA value. Estimated annual accumulation was 6 100±675 mm during the two years of study; 15 to 30% of this flux resulted from avalanche and wind–transported snow. Average annual ablation during the period was 5 350 mm, giving a total net balance of + 1 600 mm for the two-year study period. “Vesper” glacier persists well below the regional snow-line because of excessive local precipitation, substantial avalanche contributions, and a favourable north-facing aspect.Neoglacial moraines indicate that maximum ELA lowering in this period was approximately 165 m and occurred prior to a.d. 1670. Minor re-advances occurred during the nineteenth century. These reconnaissance measurements are consistent with the sparse geologic data reported from other glaciers in the Cascade Range. While the relationship between regional lowering of snow-line and avalanche activity is uncertain at present, these data suggest that avalanche-nourished glaciers provide a useful record of climatic fluctuations.

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Mass balance of White Glacier, Axel Heiberg Island, N.W.T., Canada, 1960–91

Journal of Glaciology ◽

10.1017/s0022143000003531 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 42 (142) ◽

pp. 548-563 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

J.Graham Cogley ◽

W. P. Adams ◽

M. A. Ecclestone ◽

F. Jung-Rothenhäusler ◽

C. S. L. Ommanney

Keyword(s):

Mass Balance ◽

Satellite Images ◽

Equilibrium Line ◽

Glacier Mass Balance ◽

Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽

Fold Reduction ◽

Random Samples ◽

Measurements Errors ◽

Standard Techniques

AbstractWhite Glacier is a valley glacier at 79.5°N with an area of 38.7 km2. Its mass balance has been measured, over 32 years with a 3 year gap, by standard techniques using the stratigraphic system with a stake density of the order of one stake per km2. Errors in stake mass balance are about ±(200–250) mm, due largely to the local unrepresentativeness of measurements. Errors in the whole-glacier mass balanceBare of the same order as single-slake errors. However, the lag-1 autocorrelation in the time series ofBis effectively zero, so it consists of independent random samples, and the error in the long-term “balance normal”〈B〉is noticeably less.〈B〉is −100 ± 48 mm. The equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) averages 970 m. with a range of 470–1400 m. Mass balance is well correlated with ELA, but detailed modelling shows that the equilibrium line is undetectable on visible-band satellite images. A reduced network of a few stakes could give acceptable but less accurate estimates of the mass balance, as could estimates based on data from a weather station 120 km away. There is no evidence of a trend in the mass balance of White Glacier. To detect a climatologically plausible trend will require a ten-fold reduction of measurement error, a conclusion which may well apply to most estimates of mass balance based on similar stake densities.

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Relation between the Mass Balance of Western Canadian Mountain Glaciers and Meteorological Data

Journal of Glaciology ◽

10.3189/s002214300000900x ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 34 (116) ◽

pp. 11-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Anne Letréguilly

Keyword(s):

Mass Balance ◽

Meteorological Data ◽

Winter Precipitation ◽

Summer Temperature ◽

Equilibrium Line ◽

Regression Equations ◽

Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽

Mountain Glaciers

AbstractThe mass balance, summer balance, winter balance, and equilibrium-line altitude of three Canadian glaciers (Peyto, Place, and Sentinel Glaciers) are compared with the meteorological records of neighbouring stations for the period 1966—84. While Peyto Glacier’s mass balance is almost entirely related to summer temperature, Sentinel Glacier’s mass balance is mostly controlled by winter precipitation. Place Glacier is influenced by both elements. Statistical reconstructions are presented for the three glaciers, using the best regression equations with the meteorological records since 1938.

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Surface mass balance of Davies Dome and Whisky Glacier on James Ross Island, north-eastern Antarctic Peninsula, based on different volume-mass conversion approaches

Czech Polar Reports ◽

10.5817/cpr2019-1-1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Zbyněk Engel ◽

Filip Hrbáček ◽

Kamil Láska ◽

Daniel Nývlt ◽

Zdeněk Stachoň

Keyword(s):

Mass Balance ◽

Mass Gain ◽

Equilibrium Line ◽

South Shetland Islands ◽

Surface Mass Balance ◽

Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽

Surface Mass ◽

Shetland Islands ◽

James Ross Island ◽

Accumulation Area Ratio

This study presents surface mass balance of two small glaciers on James Ross Island calculated using constant and zonally-variable conversion factors. The density of 500 and 900 kg·m–3 adopted for snow in the accumulation area and ice in the ablation area, respectively, provides lower mass balance values that better fit to the glaciological records from glaciers on Vega Island and South Shetland Islands. The difference between the cumulative surface mass balance values based on constant (1.23 ± 0.44 m w.e.) and zonally-variable density (0.57 ± 0.67 m w.e.) is higher for Whisky Glacier where a total mass gain was observed over the period 2009–2015. The cumulative surface mass balance values are 0.46 ± 0.36 and 0.11 ± 0.37 m w.e. for Davies Dome, which experienced lower mass gain over the same period. The conversion approach does not affect much the spatial distribution of surface mass balance on glaciers, equilibrium line altitude and accumulation-area ratio. The pattern of the surface mass balance is almost identical in the ablation zone and very similar in the accumulation zone, where the constant conversion factor yields higher surface mass balance values. The equilibrium line altitude and accumulation-area ratio determined for the investigated glaciers differ by less than 2m and 0.01, respectively. The annual changes of equilibrium line altitude and the mean values determined over the period 2009–2015 for Whisky Glacier (311 ± 16 m a.s.l.) and Davies Dome (393 ± 18 m a.s.l.) coincide with the values reported from Bahía del Diablo Glacier on Vega Island but differ from the glaciological records on South Shetland Islands.

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Accumulation at the equilibrium-line altitude of glaciers inferred from a degree-day model and tested against field observations

Annals of Glaciology ◽

10.3189/172756406781812366 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 43 ◽

pp. 329-334 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Roger J. Braithwaite ◽

Sarah C.B. Raper ◽

Krys Chutko

Keyword(s):

Mass Balance ◽

Equilibrium Line ◽

Lapse Rate ◽

High Mountain ◽

Universal Curve ◽

Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽

Temperature Range ◽

Degree Day ◽

Family Of Curves ◽

Geographical Regions

AbstractWe extrapolate temperature data from a gridded climatology to the equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) of a glacier and tune a degree-day model by adjusting precipitation to give zero mass balance at the ELA. We verify the tuned model by comparing modelled accumulation with winter balance where this has been measured (presently for 180 glaciers). The modelled accumulation naturally depends upon the vertical lapse rate (VLR) for temperature and the degree-day factor (DDF) for snowmelt. Both are somewhat uncertain in high-mountain areas, but modelled accumulation and measured winter balance are in reasonable agreement for most glaciers. The degree-day model predicts a non-linear relation between accumulation and summer temperature at the ELA as assumed by many workers, but we find a family of curves rather than a single universal curve. Maritime glaciers with low annual temperature range have proportionally more accumulation than continental glaciers with high annual temperature range for a similar summer mean temperature. Averages of winter balance for the five main geographical regions where mass-balance data are available agree well with annual accumulation from the degree-day model.

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