Surface elevation and ice thickness data between 2012 and 2020 at the ablation area of Artesonraju Glacier, Cordillera Blanca, Perú

Abstract. We present a representative set of data of interpreted ice thickness and ice surface elevation of the ablation area of the Artesonraju glacier between 2012 and 2020. The ice thickness was obtained by means of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), while the surface elevation was by means of automated total stations and mass balance stakes. The results from GPR data show a maximum depth of 235 ± 18 m and a decreasing mean depth ranging from 134 ± 18 m in 2013 to 110 ± 18 m in 2020. Additionally, we estimate a mean ice thickness change rate of −4.2 ± 3.2 m yr−1 between 2014 and 2020 with GPR data alone, which is in agreement with the elevation change in the same period. The latter was estimated with the more accurate surface elevation data, yielding a change rate of −3.2 ± 0.2 m yr−1, and hence, confirming a negative glacier mass balance. The data set can be valuable for further analysis when combined with other data types, and as input for glacier dynamics modeling, ice volume estimations, and GLOF (glacial lake outburst flood) risk assessment. The complete dataset is available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5571081 (Oberreuter et al, 2021).

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Inter-annual variation of lake ice composition in European Arctic: observations based on high-resolution thermistor strings

10.5194/essd-2021-135 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Bin Cheng ◽

Yubing Cheng ◽

Timo Vihma ◽

Anna Kontu ◽

Fei Zheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mass Balance ◽

Air Temperature ◽

Snow Depth ◽

Ice Thickness ◽

Lake Ice ◽

Data Set ◽

Finnish Lapland ◽

Increasing Trend ◽

Ice Mass Balance ◽

Snow And Ice

Abstract. Climate change and global warming strongly impact the cryosphere. The rise of air temperature and change of precipitation patterns lead to dramatic responses of snow and ice heat and mass balance. Sustainable field observations on lake air-snow-ice-water temperature regime have been carried out in Lake Orajärvi in the vicinity of the Finnish Space Centre, a Flagship Supersite in Sodankylä in Finnish Lapland since 2009. A thermistor string-based snow and ice mass balance buoy called “Snow and ice mass balance apparatus (SIMBA)” was deployed in the lake at the beginning of each ice season. In this paper, we describe snow and ice temperature regimes, snow depth, ice thickness, and ice compositions retrieved from SIMBA observations as well as meteorological variables based on high-quality observations at the Finnish Space Centre. Ice thickness in Lake Orajärvi showed an increasing trend. During the decade of data collection: 1) The November-May mean air temperature had an increasing trend of 0.16º C/year, and the interannual variations were highly correlated (r = 0.93) with the total seasonal accumulated precipitation; 2) The maximum granular ice thickness ranged from 15 to 80 % of the maximum total ice thickness; 3) The snow depth on lake ice was not correlated (r = 0.21) with the total precipitation. The data set can be applied to investigate the lake ice surface heat balance and the role of snow on lake ice mass balance, and to improve the parameterization of snow to ice transformation in snow/ice models. The data are archived at https://zenodo.org/record/4559368#.YIKOOpAzZPZ (Cheng et al., 2021)

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Spatial distribution of decadal ice-thickness change and glacier stored water loss in the Upper Ganga basin, India during 2000–2014

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-53055-y ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Debmita Bandyopadhyay ◽

Gulab Singh ◽

Anil V. Kulkarni

Keyword(s):

Spatial Variation ◽

Mass Balance ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Remote Sensing Data ◽

Coefficient Of Determination ◽

Ice Thickness ◽

Elevation Change ◽

Catchment Scale ◽

Ganga Basin ◽

Thickness Change

Abstract Himalayan glaciers have long been the focus of glaciologists across the world while trying to understand the contrasting patterns of elevation and mass changes. However, with limited number of ground observations, a comprehensive assessment of mass balance on a regional scale still remains elusive. Using the synoptic coverage of remote sensing data, we estimate a detailed spatial variation of glacier ice thickness change in the Central Himalaya of Uttarakhand using geodetic method, on a catchment scale. High resolution TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X (12 m) and SRTM (30 m) digital elevation models (DEMs) have been utilized. The mean elevation change in the catchments is found to be −9.56 ± 0.2 m (mean annual elevation change rate is −0.68 ± 0.01 m a−1). To highlight the water potential of this region, the total ice mass loss has been estimated to be 16.0 ± 1.2 Gigatonne (Gt) from 2000–2014 from eight identified catchments namely Yamunotri, Bhagirathi, Mandakini, Alaknanda, Dhauliganga, Pindar, Goriganga and Kali/Sarda. The estimated mass balance has been validated using reported observations on five selective glaciers and the coefficient of determination is 0.93. This spatial variation of ice thickness estimated in the eight catchments is critical, as the melt-water from these glaciers contribute to the upper Ganga basin.

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Coupling the delta-h parametrization with melt beneath a supraglacial debris cover: an evaluation across 54 glaciers in the southern European Alps

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-59 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Francesco Avanzi ◽

Simone Gabellani ◽

Edoardo Cremonese ◽

Umberto Morra di Cella ◽

Matthias Huss

Keyword(s):

Mass Balance ◽

Regional Scale ◽

High Elevation ◽

Glacier Mass Balance ◽

European Alps ◽

Hydrological Models ◽

Elevation Gradients ◽

Ice Flow ◽

Thickness Change ◽

Debris Cover

Glacier mass balance is an essential component of the water budget of high-elevation and high-latitude regions, and yet this process is rather oversimplified in most hydrological models. This oversimplification is particularly relevant when it comes to representing two mechanisms: ice flow dynamics and melt beneath a supraglacial debris cover. In 2010, Huss et al. proposed a parsimonious approach to account for&#160; glacier dynamics in hydrological models without solving complex equations of three-dimensional ice flow, the so-called delta-h parametrization. On the other hand, accounting for melt of debris-covered ice is still challenging as&#160; estimates of debris thickness are rare.&#160;Here, we leveraged a distributed dataset of glacier-thickness change to derive a glacier-specific delta-h parametrization for 54 glaciers across the Aosta Valley (Italy), as well as&#160; develop a novel approach for modeling melt beneath supraglacial debris based on residuals between locally observed change in thickness and that expected by regional elevation gradients. This approach does not require any on-the-ground data on debris cover, and as such it is particularly suited for ungauged regions where remote sensing is the only, feasible source of information for modeling.&#160;We found an expected, significant variability in both the delta-h parametrization and residuals over debris-covered ice across glaciers, with somewhat steeper orographic gradients in the former compared to the curves originally proposed by Huss et al. for Swiss glaciers. At a regional scale, the glacier mass balance showed a clear transition between a regime dominated by active glacier flow above 2,300 m ASL and a debris-dominated regime below this elevation threshold, which makes accounting for melt in the debris-covered area essential to correctly capture the future fate of low-elevation glaciers. Implementing the delta-h parametrization and our proposed approach to melt beneath supraglacial debris into S3M, a distributed cryospheric model, yielded an improved realism in estimates of future changes in glacier geometry&#160; compared to assuming non-dynamic downwasting.

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Quantifying the effects of climate and surface change on glacier mass balance

Journal of Glaciology ◽

10.3189/172756501781831783 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 47 (159) ◽

pp. 649-658 ◽

Cited By ~ 115

Author(s):

D. H. Elsberg ◽

W. D. Harrison ◽

K. A. Echelmeyer ◽

R. M. Krimmel

Keyword(s):

Mass Balance ◽

Mass Change ◽

Surface Elevation ◽

Practical Reasons ◽

Glacier Mass Balance ◽

Climatic Variations ◽

Actual Volume ◽

Dynamics Problems ◽

Surface Balance ◽

Actual Mass

AbstractWhen a mass balance is computed using an outdated map, that computation does not reveal the actual mass change. But older maps often must be used for practical reasons. We present a method by which, with a few additional measurements each year, a mass balance computed with an outdated map can be transformed into an actual mass change. This is done by taking into account the influence of changes in areal extent and changes in the surface elevation of the glacier since the map was made. This method is applied to South Cascade Glacier, Washington, U.S.A., as an example. The computed cumulative mass balance from 1970 to 1997 would have been 16% too negative if the 1970 map had not been updated. While the actual volume change of a glacier is relevant to hydrological studies, the change that would have occurred on a constant (or static) surface is more relevant to certain glacier dynamics problems and most climate problems. We term this the reference-surface balance and propose that such a balance, which deliberately omits the influence of changes in area and surface elevation, is better correlated to climatic variations than the conventional one, which incorporates those influences.

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Comparison of seasonal sea-ice thickness change in the Transpolar Drift observed by local ice mass-balance observations and floe-scale EM surveys

Annals of Glaciology ◽

10.3189/172756411795931778 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 52 (57) ◽

pp. 97-102 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Christian Haas ◽

Herve Le Goff ◽

Samuel Audrain ◽

Don Perovich ◽

Jari Haapala

Keyword(s):

Mass Balance ◽

Electromagnetic Induction ◽

The Arctic ◽

Ice Thickness ◽

Sea Ice Thickness ◽

Thickness Change ◽

Ice Mass Balance ◽

Transpolar Drift ◽

Thickness Measurements ◽

Good Agreement

AbstractLocal and transect ice-thickness measurements were performed between May and November 2007 on an ice floe in the Transpolar Drift of the Arctic Ocean using an ice mass-balance buoy and electromagnetic induction (EM) sounding. Repeated EM surveys along an originally 2160m long profile including level and deformed ice showed that between June and September modal and mean thicknesses decreased by 0.6 and 0.86m respectively. the modal thickness decrease is in good agreement with the thinning of 0.6m observed by the ice mass-balance buoy at one location on unponded ice during the same period, although the local observations do not capture the different melt rates on level and rough ice. the paper discusses methodological and operational challenges in sustaining both measurements over periods of several months, and concludes that more work needs to be done to better understand their representativeness.

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The Rofental: a high Alpine research basin (1890 m – 3770 m a.s.l.) in the Ötztal Alps (Austria) with over 150 years of hydro-meteorological and glaciological observations

10.5194/essd-2017-85 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Ulrich Strasser ◽

Thomas Marke ◽

Ludwig Braun ◽

Heidi Escher-Vetter ◽

Irmgard Juen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mass Balance ◽

Laser Scanner ◽

Longwave Radiation ◽

Water Levels ◽

Original Research ◽

High Mountain ◽

Glacier Mass Balance ◽

Data Sets ◽

Data Set ◽

Entire Area

Abstract. A comprehensive hydrometeorological and glaciological data set is presented, originating from a multitude of recordings at several intensively operated research sites in the Rofental (1891–3772 m a.s.l., Ötztal Alps, Austria). The data sets are spanning a period of 150 years and hence represent a unique, worldwide unprecedented pool of high mountain observations. Their collection has originally been initiated to support the scientific investigation of the glaciers Hintereis-, Kesselwand- and Vernagtferner. Later, additional measurements of meteorological and hydrological variables have been undertaken; data now comprise records of temperature, relative humidity, short- and longwave radiation, wind speed and direction, air pressure, precipitation and water levels. For the glaciers, annual mass balance, glacier front variation and flow velocities as well as photographic images of the glacier status have been recorded. Since 2001, a series of distributed (airborne and terrestrial) laserscans has been processed. Most recently, a permanent terrestrial laser scanner installed on "Im hintern Eis" (3244 m a.s.l.) enables to continuously observe almost the entire area of Hintereisferner. The data and research undertaken at the sites of investigation enable combined research of atmospheric, cryospheric and hydrological processes in complex terrain, and support the development of several state-of-the art hydroclimatological and glacier mass balance models. The institutions taking part in the Rofental research framework have joined to a cooperation consortium and promote their site in several international research initiatives. In the framework of INARCH, all original research data sets are now provided to the scientific community according to the Creative Commons Attribution License by means of the PANGAEA repository (https://doi.org/doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.876120).

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Glaciological measurements and mass balances from Sperry Glacier, Montana, USA, years 2005–2015

Earth System Science Data ◽

10.5194/essd-9-47-2017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 47-61 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Adam M. Clark ◽

Daniel B. Fagre ◽

Erich H. Peitzsch ◽

Blase A. Reardon ◽

Joel T. Harper

Keyword(s):

Mass Balance ◽

Monitoring Program ◽

The United States ◽

Future Research ◽

United States Geological Survey ◽

Glacier Mass Balance ◽

Valuable Insight ◽

Mass Balances ◽

Data Set ◽

Surface Mass

Abstract. Glacier mass balance measurements help to provide an understanding of the behavior of glaciers and their response to local and regional climate. In 2005 the United States Geological Survey established a surface mass balance monitoring program on Sperry Glacier, Montana, USA. This project is the first quantitative study of mass changes of a glacier in the US northern Rocky Mountains and continues to the present. The following paper describes the methods used during the first 11 years of measurements and reports the associated results. From 2005 to 2015, Sperry Glacier had a cumulative mean mass balance loss of 4.37 m w.e. (water equivalent). The mean winter, summer, and annual glacier-wide mass balances were 2.92, −3.41, and −0.40 m w.e. yr−1 respectively. We derive these cumulative and mean results from an expansive data set of snow depth, snow density, and ablation measurements taken at selected points on the glacier. These data allow for the determination of mass balance point values and a time series of seasonal and annual glacier-wide mass balances for all 11 measurement years. We also provide measurements of glacier extent and accumulation areas for select years. All data have been submitted to the World Glacier Monitoring Service and are available at doi:10.5904/wgms-fog-2016-08. This foundational work provides valuable insight about Sperry Glacier and supplies additional data to the worldwide record of glaciers measured using the glaciological method. Future research will focus on the processes that control accumulation and ablation patterns across the glacier. Also we plan to examine the uncertainties related to our methods and eventually quantify a more robust estimate of error associated with our results.

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Classifying disequilibrium of small mountain glaciers from patterns of surface elevation change distributions

Journal of Glaciology ◽

10.1017/jog.2021.90 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-16

Author(s):

Lea Hartl ◽

Kay Helfricht ◽

Martin Stocker-Waldhuber ◽

Bernd Seiser ◽

Andrea Fischer

Keyword(s):

High Elevation ◽

Distinct Pattern ◽

Surface Elevation ◽

Elevation Change ◽

Self Organizing Maps ◽

Data Set ◽

Thickness Change ◽

Mountain Glaciers ◽

Surface Elevation Change ◽

Time Periods

Abstract The overall trend of rapid retreat of Alpine glaciers contains considerable variability of responses at the scale of individual glaciers. As a step towards a regional assessment of glacier state that allows a detailed differentiation of single glaciers, we explore the potential of a self-organizing maps (SOM) algorithm to identify and cluster recurring patterns of thickness change at glaciers in western Austria. Using digital elevation models and glacier inventories for three time periods, we compute the frequency distribution of surface elevation change over the area of each glacier in the data set, for each period. The results of the SOM clustering show a distinct pattern shift over time: From 1969 to 1997, surface elevation change occurred at relatively uniform rates across a given glacier. Since 1997, the distribution of surface elevation change at individual glaciers has been far less uniform, indicating accelerated processes of disintegration. Tracking the evolution of individual glaciers throughout the time periods via the clusters highlights both the broader regional trend as well as glaciers that deviate from this trend, e.g. some very small, high elevation glaciers that have reverted to reduced and more uniform volume loss patterns.

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Inter-annual variation in lake ice composition in the European Arctic: observations based on high-resolution thermistor strings

Earth System Science Data ◽

10.5194/essd-13-3967-2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 3967-3978

Author(s):

Bin Cheng ◽

Yubing Cheng ◽

Timo Vihma ◽

Anna Kontu ◽

Fei Zheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mass Balance ◽

Air Temperature ◽

Snow Depth ◽

Ice Thickness ◽

Lake Ice ◽

Data Set ◽

Finnish Lapland ◽

Increasing Trend ◽

Ice Mass Balance ◽

Snow And Ice

Abstract. Climate change and global warming strongly impact the cryosphere. The rise of air temperature and change of precipitation patterns lead to dramatic responses of snow and ice heat and mass balance. Sustainable field observations on lake air–snow–ice–water temperature regime have been carried out in Lake Orajärvi in the vicinity of the Finnish Space Centre, a Flagship Supersite in Sodankylä in Finnish Lapland since 2009. A thermistor-string-based snow and ice mass balance buoy called “Snow and ice mass balance apparatus (SIMBA)” was deployed in the lake at the beginning of each ice season. In this paper, we describe snow and ice temperature regimes, snow depth, ice thickness, and ice compositions retrieved from SIMBA observations as well as meteorological variables based on high-quality observations at the Finnish Space Centre. Ice thickness in Lake Orajärvi showed an increasing trend. During the decade of data collection (1) the November–May mean air temperature had an increasing trend of 0.16 ∘C per year, and the interannual variations were highly correlated (r = 0.93) with the total seasonal accumulated precipitation; (2) the maximum granular ice thickness ranged from 15 % to 80 % of the maximum total ice thickness; and (3) the snow depth on lake ice was not correlated (r = 0.21) with the total precipitation. The data set can be applied to investigate the lake ice surface heat balance and the role of snow in lake ice mass balance and to improve the parameterization of snow to ice transformation in snow and ice models. The data are archived at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4559368 (Cheng et al., 2021).

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Rapid changes of Alpine glaciers in Austria tracked by ALS surveys

10.5194/ems2021-133 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kay Helfricht ◽

Lea Hartl ◽

Martin Stocker-Waldhuber ◽

Bernd Seiser ◽

Andrea Fischer

Keyword(s):

Relative Volume ◽

Surface Elevation ◽

Ice Thickness ◽

Mountain Range ◽

Volume Loss ◽

Elevation Change ◽

Thickness Change ◽

Alpine Glaciers ◽

Glacier Changes ◽

Surface Elevation Change

Unprecedented glacier changes are reported for many mountain regions on earth based on surveys with different spatial resolution and repeat intervals. Eastern Alpine glaciers have been receding since the LIA maximum, with increasing relative volume loss at the beginning of the 21st century. New high-resolution data of surface elevation from ALS surveys enable the analysis of most recent glacier changes at three mountain ranges in western Austria as an impact of climate change.Surface elevation change rates between 2007 and 2018 increased again in comparison to former periods. Volume loss takes place even in the highest elevation zones, and most of the glaciers are out of an equilibrium state, such that consolidation of mass balance towards zero appears impossible under present climate conditions. The disintegration of low lying glacier tongues and a strong depletion of the firn cover are further signs of rapid glacier changes. The frequency distributions of surface elevation change throughout the area of each glacier show distinct shifts in peak ice thickness change and patterns of surface change distribution that suggest ongoing processes of glacier disintegration. Combining recent surface elevation changes and estimations of the spatial distribution of ice thickness in Austria shows that most of glaciers will vanish in 50 years or less. Only glaciers currently larger than 5 km&#178; can be expected to exist longer at reduced size. At current rates of mass loss, glaciers are projected to retreat entirely to above 2800m in the &#214;tztal and Stubai ranges by 2050. Further concerns arise regarding methods of tracking the future development of the remaining ice bodies. In particular, in the Silvretta mountain range, the majority of glacier margins have to be delineated in debris-covered glacier zones. It is debatable whether some of the smallest glaciogenic features should still be accounted for in glacier inventories or moved to an inventory of transient cryogenic landforms.

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