scholarly journals Non-Synchronous Response Of Rabots Glaciar and Storglaciaren To Recent Climatic Change

1990 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 331-332
Author(s):  
Keith A. Brugger
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Response Time ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Climatic Change ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Wave Model ◽  
Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Climatic Oscillations ◽  
Basin Topography

Rabots glaciär and Storglaciären are small valley glaciers located in the Kebnekaise massif of northern Sweden. Rabots glaciär flows west from the summit of Kebnekaise (2114 m) and Storglaciären flows east; thus regional climate affecting the glaciers is the same. The glaciers are of comparable size and geometry, although differences exist in the variation of ice thickness and the subglacial bedrock topography within the respective basins. The thickness of Rabots glaciär appears to be relatively uniform over much of its length and its bed smooth. The bed over which Storglaciären flows is characterized by a “riegel and basin” topography and ice thicknesses vary accordingly. Advance and retreat of the glaciers during the last 100 years has been documented by historical records and photographs, measurements of ice retreats, and detailed glacial and geological studies. Both advanced to their maximum 20th century extents around 1916. In their subsequent retreat, Rabots glaciär has lagged behind Storglaciären by 10 years. Mass-balance studies for the years 1981–87 suggest that while the “local” climate for each glacier is slightly different (in terms of the magnitude of acumulation and ablation), variations in local climate are synchronous. Non-synchronous response of the glaciers is therefore attributed to differences in glacier dynamics, which are quite apparent when velocity profiles are compared. Ice velocities on Rabots glaciär vary little from an average of −7.5 m/yr, resulting in a longitudinal strain rate, r, of about 6 × 10−3yr −1. In contrast, values for r on Storglaciären are as high as 2.5 × 10−2 yr−1 owing to greater ice velocities and variation in ice velocity. Since the response time of a glacier is proportional to 1/r, the lower strain rates found on Rabots glaciär probably account for its more sluggish retreat. A simple, non-diffusive, kinematic wave model is used to analyze the response of the glaciers to a step-like perturbation in mass balance. This model predicts that the response time of Storglaciären is on the order of 30 years and that a new steady-state profile would be attained in about 50 years. The predicted response time of Rabots glaciär is about 75 years, its new steady-state profile being reached after more than 100 years. More accurate analyses of each glacier's response to climatic change use a time-dependent numerical model which includes the effects of diffusion. The climatic forcing in these modelling efforts is represented by the changes in mass balance resulting from changes in the equilibrium line altitude (ELA). ELAs can be correlated to regional meteorological variables which in turn are used to create a “synthetic” record of ELA variations where necessary. Therefore climatic oscillations since the turn of the century can be simulated by the appropriate changes in ELA. Using synchronous variations of ELAs and their 1916 profiles as datum states, the modeled behavior of Rabots glaciär and Storglaciären shows that: (a) the rates of ice retreat for each glacier are in reasonable agreement with those observed; and (b) Rabots glaciär took slightly longer than Storglaciären to react to the slight warming that occurred shortly after their 1916 advance.

scholarly journals Non-Synchronous Response Of Rabots Glaciar and Storglaciaren To Recent Climatic Change

1990 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 331-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith A. Brugger
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Response Time ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Climatic Change ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Wave Model ◽  
Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Climatic Oscillations ◽  
Basin Topography

Rabots glaciär and Storglaciären are small valley glaciers located in the Kebnekaise massif of northern Sweden. Rabots glaciär flows west from the summit of Kebnekaise (2114 m) and Storglaciären flows east; thus regional climate affecting the glaciers is the same. The glaciers are of comparable size and geometry, although differences exist in the variation of ice thickness and the subglacial bedrock topography within the respective basins. The thickness of Rabots glaciär appears to be relatively uniform over much of its length and its bed smooth. The bed over which Storglaciären flows is characterized by a “riegel and basin” topography and ice thicknesses vary accordingly.Advance and retreat of the glaciers during the last 100 years has been documented by historical records and photographs, measurements of ice retreats, and detailed glacial and geological studies. Both advanced to their maximum 20th century extents around 1916. In their subsequent retreat, Rabots glaciär has lagged behind Storglaciären by 10 years.Mass-balance studies for the years 1981–87 suggest that while the “local” climate for each glacier is slightly different (in terms of the magnitude of acumulation and ablation), variations in local climate are synchronous. Non-synchronous response of the glaciers is therefore attributed to differences in glacier dynamics, which are quite apparent when velocity profiles are compared. Ice velocities on Rabots glaciär vary little from an average of −7.5 m/yr, resulting in a longitudinal strain rate, r, of about 6 × 10−3yr −1. In contrast, values for r on Storglaciären are as high as 2.5 × 10−2 yr−1 owing to greater ice velocities and variation in ice velocity. Since the response time of a glacier is proportional to 1/r, the lower strain rates found on Rabots glaciär probably account for its more sluggish retreat.A simple, non-diffusive, kinematic wave model is used to analyze the response of the glaciers to a step-like perturbation in mass balance. This model predicts that the response time of Storglaciären is on the order of 30 years and that a new steady-state profile would be attained in about 50 years. The predicted response time of Rabots glaciär is about 75 years, its new steady-state profile being reached after more than 100 years.More accurate analyses of each glacier's response to climatic change use a time-dependent numerical model which includes the effects of diffusion. The climatic forcing in these modelling efforts is represented by the changes in mass balance resulting from changes in the equilibrium line altitude (ELA). ELAs can be correlated to regional meteorological variables which in turn are used to create a “synthetic” record of ELA variations where necessary. Therefore climatic oscillations since the turn of the century can be simulated by the appropriate changes in ELA. Using synchronous variations of ELAs and their 1916 profiles as datum states, the modeled behavior of Rabots glaciär and Storglaciären shows that: (a) the rates of ice retreat for each glacier are in reasonable agreement with those observed; and (b) Rabots glaciär took slightly longer than Storglaciären to react to the slight warming that occurred shortly after their 1916 advance.

A Regional Climate Model Laboratory for Understanding Coastal Climate

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis O'Brien ◽  
Thomas Burkle ◽  
Michael Krauter ◽  
Thomas Trapp
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Regional Climate Model ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Cloud Fraction ◽  
Theoretical Physics ◽  
Coastal Regions ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Coastal Climate ◽  
Mean Climate

<p>Midlatitude western coastal regions are recognized as being important for the global energy cycle, marine and terrestrial biodiversity, and regional economies.  These coastal regions exhibit a rich range of weather and climate phenomena, including persistent stratocumulus clouds, sea-breeze circulations, coastally-trapped Kelvin waves, and wind-driven upwelling. During the summer season, when impacts from transient synoptic systems are relatively reduced, the local climate is governed by a complex set of interactions among the atmosphere, land, and ocean.  This complexity has so far inhibited basic understanding of the drivers of western coastal climate, climate variability, and climate change.</p><p>As a way of simplifying the system, we have developed a hierarchical regional climate model experimental framework focused on the western United States. We modify the International Centre for Theoretical Physics RegCM4 to use steady-state initial, lateral, and top-of-model boundary conditions: average July insolation (no diurnal cycle) and average meteorological state (winds, temperature, humidity, surface pressure).  This July <em>Base State</em> simulation rapidly reaches a steady state solution that closely resembles the observed mean climate and the mean climate achieved using RegCM4 in a standard reanalysis-driven configuration.  It is particularly notable that the near-coastal stratocumulus field is spatially similar to the satellite-observed stratocumulus field during arbitrary July days: including gaps in stratocumulus coverage downwind of capes. We run similar <em>Base State</em> simulations for the other calendar months and find that these simulations mimic the annual cycle.  This suggests that the summer coastal stratocumulus field results from the steady-state response of the marine boundary layer to summertime climatological forcing; if true for the real world, this would imply that stratocumulus cloud fraction, within a given month, is temporally modulated by deviations from the summer base state (e.g., transient synoptic disturbances that interrupt the cloud field).  We describe modifications to this simplified experimental framework aimed at understanding the factors that govern stratocumulus cloud fraction and its variability.</p>

scholarly journals Explaining mass balance and retreat dichotomies at Taku and Lemon Creek Glaciers, Alaska

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (258) ◽  
pp. 530-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher McNeil ◽  
Shad O'Neel ◽  
Michael Loso ◽  
Mauri Pelto ◽  
Louis Sass ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Average Rate ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Strong Correlations ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Negative Mass ◽  
Regional Warming ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Cumulative Mass

AbstractWe reanalyzed mass balance records at Taku and Lemon Creek Glaciers to better understand the relative roles of hypsometry, local climate and dynamics as mass balance drivers. Over the 1946–2018 period, the cumulative mass balances diverged. Tidewater Taku Glacier advanced and gained mass at an average rate of +0.25 ± 0.28 m w.e. a–1, contrasting with retreat and mass loss of −0.60 ± 0.15 m w.e. a−1 at land-terminating Lemon Creek Glacier. The uniform influence of regional climate is demonstrated by strong correlations among annual mass balance and climate data. Regional warming trends forced similar statistically significant decreases in surface mass balance after 1989: −0.83 m w.e. a–1 at Taku Glacier and −0.81 m w.e. a–1 at Lemon Creek Glacier. Divergence in cumulative mass balance arises from differences in glacier hypsometry and local climate. Since 2013 negative mass balance and glacier-wide thinning prevailed at Taku Glacier. These changes initiated terminus retreat, which could increase dramatically if calving begins. The future mass balance trajectory of Taku Glacier hinges on dynamics, likely ending the historic dichotomy between these glaciers.

scholarly journals Mass-Balance Gradients and Climatic Change

1989 ◽  
Vol 35 (121) ◽  
pp. 399-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Oerlemans ◽  
N.C. Hoogendoorn
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Climatic Change ◽  
Longwave Radiation ◽  
Atmospheric Temperature ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Turbulent Heat ◽  
Snow Surface ◽  
Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽  
Time Step

AbstractIt is generally assumed that the mass-balance gradient on glaciers is more or less conserved under climatic change. In studies of the dynamic response of glaciers to climatic change, one of the following assumptions is normally made: (i) the mass-balance perturbation is independent of altitude or (ii) the mass-balance profile does not change — it simply shifts up and down. Observational evidence for such an approach is not convincing; on some glaciers the inter-annual changes in mass balance seem to be independent of altitude, on others not at all. Moreover, it is questionable whether inter-annual variation can be “projected“ on different climatic states.To see what a physical approach might contribute, we developed an altitude-dependent mass-balance model. It is based on the energy balance of the ice/snow surface, where precipitation is included in a parameterized form and numerical integrations are done through an entire balance year (with a 30 min time step). Atmospheric temperature, snowfall, and atmospheric transmissivity for solar radiation are all dependent on altitude, so a mass-balance profile can be calculated. Slope and exposure of the ice/snow surface are taken into account (and the effects of these parameters studied). In general, the calculations were done for 100m elevation intervals.Climatological data from the Sonnblick Observatory (Austria; 3106 m a.s.l.) and from Vent (2000 m a.s.l.; Oetztal Alps, Austria) served as input for a number of runs. Simulation of the mass-balance profiles for Hinterseisferner (north-easterly exposure) and Kesselwandferner (south-easterly exposure) yields reasonable results. The larger balance gradient on Kesselwandferner is produced by the model, so exposure appears to be an important factor here.Sensitivity of mass-balance profiles to shading effects, different slope, and exposure are systematically studied. Another section deals with the sensitivity to climatic change. Perturbations of air temperature, cloudiness, albedo, and precipitation are imposed to see their effects on the mass-balance profiles. The results clearly show that, in general, mass-balance perturbations depend strongly on altitude. They generally increase down-glacier, and are not always symmetric about the reference state.For typical climatic conditions in the Alps, we found that a 1 K temperature change leads to a change in equilibrium-line altitude of 130 m. Three factors contribute to this large value; turbulent heat flux, longwave radiation from the atmosphere, and fraction of precipitation falling as snow. Here, the albedo feed-back increases the sensitivity in a significant way.

scholarly journals A long-term dataset of climatic mass balance, snow conditions, and runoff in Svalbard (1957–2018)

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 2259-2280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ward van Pelt ◽  
Veijo Pohjola ◽  
Rickard Pettersson ◽  
Sergey Marchenko ◽  
Jack Kohler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Substantial Reduction ◽  
Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽  
Seasonal Snow ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Snow Conditions

Abstract. The climate in Svalbard is undergoing amplified change compared to the global mean. This has major implications for runoff from glaciers and seasonal snow on land. We use a coupled energy balance–subsurface model, forced with downscaled regional climate model fields, and apply it to both glacier-covered and land areas in Svalbard. This generates a long-term (1957–2018) distributed dataset of climatic mass balance (CMB) for the glaciers, snow conditions, and runoff with a 1 km×1 km spatial and 3-hourly temporal resolution. Observational data including stake measurements, automatic weather station data, and subsurface data across Svalbard are used for model calibration and validation. We find a weakly positive mean net CMB (+0.09 m w.e. a−1) over the simulation period, which only fractionally compensates for mass loss through calving. Pronounced warming and a small precipitation increase lead to a spatial-mean negative net CMB trend (−0.06 m w.e. a−1 decade−1), and an increase in the equilibrium line altitude (ELA) by 17 m decade−1, with the largest changes in southern and central Svalbard. The retreating ELA in turn causes firn air volume to decrease by 4 % decade−1, which in combination with winter warming induces a substantial reduction of refreezing in both glacier-covered and land areas (average −4 % decade−1). A combination of increased melt and reduced refreezing causes glacier runoff (average 34.3 Gt a−1) to double over the simulation period, while discharge from land (average 10.6 Gt a−1) remains nearly unchanged. As a result, the relative contribution of land runoff to total runoff drops from 30 % to 20 % during 1957–2018. Seasonal snow on land and in glacier ablation zones is found to arrive later in autumn (+1.4 d decade−1), while no significant changes occurred on the date of snow disappearance in spring–summer. Altogether, the output of the simulation provides an extensive dataset that may be of use in a wide range of applications ranging from runoff modelling to ecosystem studies.

scholarly journals Four years of mass balance on Chhota Shigri Glacier, Himachal Pradesh, India, a new benchmark glacier in the western Himalaya

2007 ◽  
Vol 53 (183) ◽  
pp. 603-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Wagnon ◽  
Anurag Linda ◽  
Yves Arnaud ◽  
Rajesh Kumar ◽  
Parmanand Sharma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Regional Climate Change ◽  
Western Himalaya ◽  
Vertical Gradient ◽  
Himachal Pradesh ◽  
Surface Velocity ◽  
Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽  
Chhota Shigri Glacier ◽  
Himalayan Glaciers

Little is known about the Himalayan glaciers, although they are of particular interest in terms of future water supply, regional climate change and sea-level rise. In 2002, a long-term monitoring programme was started on Chhota Shigri Glacier (32.2° N, 77.5° E; 15.7 km2, 6263–4050 ma.s.l., 9 km long) located in Lahaul and Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India. This glacier lies in the monsoon–arid transition zone (western Himalaya) which is alternately influenced by Asian monsoon in summer and the mid-latitude westerlies in winter. Here we present the results of a 4 year study of mass balance and surface velocity. Overall specific mass balances are mostly negative during the study period and vary from a minimum value of –1.4 m w.e. in 2002/03 and 2005/06 (equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) ∼5180 m a.s.l.) to a maximum value of +0.1 m w.e. in 2004/05 (ELA 4855 m a.s.l.). Chhota Shigri Glacier seems similar to mid-latitude glaciers, with an ablation season limited to the summer months and a mean vertical gradient of mass balance in the ablation zone (debris-free part) of 0.7mw.e.(100 m)–1, similar to those reported in the Alps. Mass balance is strongly dependent on debris cover, exposure and the shading effect of surrounding steep slopes.

scholarly journals Late Pleistocene Glacier Dynamics and Paleoclimate Of South-Western Montana and North-Eastern Idaho. U.S.A.

1990 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 350
Author(s):  
Donald R. Murray
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Mass Flux ◽  
Basal Slip ◽  
Western Montana ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Shear Stresses ◽  
Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
North Eastern

Reliable reconstructions of paleoglaciers using topographic maps and aerial photographs allow calculation of effective basal shear stresses along the longitudinal profiles of these glaciers. Glacial flow theory applied to these shear stresses provides an estimate of the component of mass flux due to internal deformation. Assuming basal slip to be zero at the point where deformation mass flux is a maximum, minimum average accumulation gradients (above the equilibrium-line altitude (ELA)) and ablation gradients (below the ELA) can be calculated and minimum mass flux at the ELA can be estimated using the continuity equation. Average net winter accumulation can also be calculated by dividing the mass flux at the ELA by the accumulation area. Because local climate controls the mass balance of a glacier, and therefore the accumulation and ablation gradients, this model provides information on the climatic setting of these paleoglaciers. This model also allows estimation of basal slip as a factor in point estimates of glacial flow. Application of the continuity model above and below the ELA generates additional estimates of mass flux at discrete points along the glacier. The difference between deformation mass flux and continuity flux at these points yields a first approximation of basal slip, which is highly variable along the glacier. The model was tested on the Big Timber glacier of west-central Montana and applied to several other late Pleistocene glaciers in the northern Rocky Mountains of south-western Montana and north-eastern Idaho. Low ablation gradients (<4.0 mm m-1) suggest a climate during the late Pleistocene comparable to the present-day climate of the Brooks Range in Alaska. Calculated average net winter accumulation for the area is well below modern values, again indicating that the climate was much drier during the full glacial period. Basal sliding accounts for most (>90%) of the glacial flow near the terminus of each glacier but is variable along the rest of the glacier. While the mass-balance values are minima, they are assumed to be reasonable approximations of the actual values unless very high basal slip rates occurred along the entire length of each glacier.

scholarly journals Simulating melt, runoff and refreezing on Nordenskiöldbreen, Svalbard, using a coupled snow and energy balance model

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 641-659 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. J. van Pelt ◽  
J. Oerlemans ◽  
C. H. Reijmer ◽  
V. A. Pohjola ◽  
R. Pettersson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Balance ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Energy Balance Model ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽  
Mass Budget ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. A distributed energy balance model is coupled to a multi-layer snow model in order to study the mass balance evolution and the impact of refreezing on the mass budget of Nordenskiöldbreen, Svalbard. The model is forced with output from the regional climate model RACMO and meteorological data from Svalbard Airport. Extensive calibration and initialisation are performed to increase the model accuracy. For the period 1989–2010, we find a mean net mass balance of −0.39 m w.e. a−1. Refreezing contributes on average 0.27 m w.e. a−1 to the mass budget and is most pronounced in the accumulation zone. The simulated mass balance, radiative fluxes and subsurface profiles are validated against observations and are generally in good agreement. Climate sensitivity experiments reveal a non-linear, seasonally dependent response of the mass balance, refreezing and runoff to changes in temperature and precipitation. It is shown that including seasonality in climate change, with less pronounced summer warming, reduces the sensitivity of the mass balance and equilibrium line altitude (ELA) estimates in a future climate. The amount of refreezing is shown to be rather insensitive to changes in climate.

scholarly journals A long-term dataset of climatic mass balance, snow conditions and runoff in Svalbard (1957–2018)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ward van Pelt ◽  
Veijo Pohjola ◽  
Rickard Pettersson ◽  
Sergey Marchenko ◽  
Jack Kohler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Substantial Reduction ◽  
Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽  
Seasonal Snow ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Snow Conditions

Abstract. The climate in Svalbard is undergoing amplified change compared to the global mean. This has major implications for runoff from glaciers and seasonal snow on land. We use a coupled energy balance – subsurface model, forced with downscaled regional climate model fields, and apply it to both glacier-covered and land areas in Svalbard. This generates a long-term (1957–2018) distributed dataset of climatic mass balance (CMB), snow conditions and runoff with a 1x1-km spatial and 3-hourly temporal resolution. Observational data including stake measurements, automatic weather station data and subsurface data across Svalbard are used for model calibration and validation. We find a weakly positive mean CMB (+0.09 m w.e. a−1) over the simulation period, which only fractionally compensates for mass loss through calving. Pronounced warming and a weak precipitation increase lead to a spatial-mean negative CMB trend (−0.06 m w.e. a−1 decade-1), and an increase in the equilibrium line altitude (ELA) by 17 m decade−1, with largest changes in southern and central Svalbard. The retreating ELA in turn causes firn air volume to decrease by 4 % decade−1, which, in combination with winter warming induces a substantial reduction of refreezing in both glacier-covered and land areas (average −4 % decade−1). A combination of increased melt and reduced refreezing cause glacier runoff (average 34.3 Gt a−1) to double over the simulation period, while discharge from land (average 10.6 Gt a−1) remains nearly unchanged. As a result, the relative contribution of land runoff to total runoff drops from 30 to 20 % during 1957–2018. Seasonal snow on land and in glacier ablation zones is found to arrive later in autumn (+1.4 days decade−1), while no significant changes occurred in the date of snow disappearance in spring/summer. Altogether, the output of the simulation provides an extensive dataset that may be of use in a wide range of applications ranging from runoff modelling to ecosystem studies.

scholarly journals Mass-Balance Gradients and Climatic Change

1989 ◽  
Vol 35 (121) ◽  
pp. 399-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Oerlemans ◽  
N.C. Hoogendoorn
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Climatic Change ◽  
Longwave Radiation ◽  
Atmospheric Temperature ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Turbulent Heat ◽  
Snow Surface ◽  
Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽  
Time Step

AbstractIt is generally assumed that the mass-balance gradient on glaciers is more or less conserved under climatic change. In studies of the dynamic response of glaciers to climatic change, one of the following assumptions is normally made: (i) the mass-balance perturbation is independent of altitude or (ii) the mass-balance profile does not change — it simply shifts up and down. Observational evidence for such an approach is not convincing; on some glaciers the inter-annual changes in mass balance seem to be independent of altitude, on others not at all. Moreover, it is questionable whether inter-annual variation can be “projected“ on different climatic states.To see what a physical approach might contribute, we developed an altitude-dependent mass-balance model. It is based on the energy balance of the ice/snow surface, where precipitation is included in a parameterized form and numerical integrations are done through an entire balance year (with a 30 min time step). Atmospheric temperature, snowfall, and atmospheric transmissivity for solar radiation are all dependent on altitude, so a mass-balance profile can be calculated. Slope and exposure of the ice/snow surface are taken into account (and the effects of these parameters studied). In general, the calculations were done for 100m elevation intervals.Climatological data from the Sonnblick Observatory (Austria; 3106 m a.s.l.) and from Vent (2000 m a.s.l.; Oetztal Alps, Austria) served as input for a number of runs. Simulation of the mass-balance profiles for Hinterseisferner (north-easterly exposure) and Kesselwandferner (south-easterly exposure) yields reasonable results. The larger balance gradient on Kesselwandferner is produced by the model, so exposure appears to be an important factor here.Sensitivity of mass-balance profiles to shading effects, different slope, and exposure are systematically studied. Another section deals with the sensitivity to climatic change. Perturbations of air temperature, cloudiness, albedo, and precipitation are imposed to see their effects on the mass-balance profiles. The results clearly show that, in general, mass-balance perturbations depend strongly on altitude. They generally increase down-glacier, and are not always symmetric about the reference state.For typical climatic conditions in the Alps, we found that a 1 K temperature change leads to a change in equilibrium-line altitude of 130 m. Three factors contribute to this large value; turbulent heat flux, longwave radiation from the atmosphere, and fraction of precipitation falling as snow. Here, the albedo feed-back increases the sensitivity in a significant way.

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