Flatisen,Svartisen: A Norwegian glacier in decline

ABSTRACT

The advance and retreat of glaciers, influenced by changes of local and regional climates, can result in dramatic landscape changes. The article, which follows up previous documentation of long-term studies at Svartisen, deals with changes of Flatisen: at the end of the 19th century, this was one of the largest glaciers of West Svartisen, and was supplied by accumulation areas that rose to > 1400 m a.s.l. It crossed the river Glomåga and ascended to 100 m above the valley floor. The river had a subglacial course until the 1920s. A proglacial lake, formed in front of the glacier in the 1930s and became larger throughout the rest of the 20th century. Changes of Flatisen between 1957 and 1990 were monitored during visits to the glacier. After the retreating front became inaccessible by land, photographs were taken. Early this century, the glacier retreated from the lake. A helicopter reconnaissance in July 2017 revealed that the surface was almost wholly below 1000 m a.s.l., the local equilibrium line altitude of recent years. Without a permanent accumulation zone, Flatisen is likely to disappear within the first half of the present century.     

Current Behaviour and Dynamics of the Lowermost Italian Glacier (Montasio Occidentale,Julian Alps)

Smaller glaciers (<0.5 km²) react quickly to environmental changes and typically show a large scatter in their individual response. Accounting for these ice bodies is essential for assessing regional glacier change, given their high number and contribution to the total loss of glacier area in mountain regions. However, studying small glaciers using traditional techniques may be difficult or not feasible, and assessing their current activity and dynamics may be problematic. In this paper, we present an integrated approach for characterizing the current behaviour of a small, avalanche‐fed glacier at low altitude in the Italian Alps, combining geomorphological, geophysical and high‐resolution geodetic surveying with a terrestrial laser scanner. The glacier is still active and shows a detectable mass transfer from the accumulation area to the lower ablation area, which is covered by a thick debris mantle. The glacier owes its existence to the local topo‐climatic conditions, ensured by high rock walls which enhance accumulation by delivering avalanche snow and reduce ablation by providing topographic shading and regulating the debris budget of the glacier catchment. In the last several years the glacier has displayed peculiar behaviour compared with most glaciers of the European Alps, being close to equilibrium conditions in spite of warm ablation seasons. Proportionally small relative changes have also occurred since the Little Ice Age maximum. Compared with the majority of other Alpine glaciers, we infer for this glacier a lower sensitivity to air temperature and a higher sensitivity to precipitation, associated with important feedback from increasing debris cover during unfavourable periods.     

Changes of Snow Cover Thickness Measured by Conventional Mass Balance Methods and by Global Positioning System Surveying

The most labour-intensive and time-consuming part of many mass balance programmes is the acquisition of snow depth data. The standard technique, which involves probing the snow cover at intervals along a series of profiles, generally by an individual on skis, may involve more than 300 discrete measurements along a total of more than 20 km of profiling at a single glacier. Kinematic surveying with a global positioning system (GPS) in differential mode provides much more information about changes of glacier surface level and snow thickness between surveys. The positions of a large number of points can be fixed in a relatively short time by GPS surveying, and the technique is usable in adverse weather conditions. With real-time kinematic GPS surveying, it is possible to return to the same positions (longitude, latitude) during successive field programmes, and a previously followed route can be retraced precisely. GPS surveying facilitates the production of accurate glacier maps for mass balance programmes. Data obtained by snow depth probing and GPS surveying in 1995 at Austre Okstindbreen, the largest glacier of the Okstindan area, Norway (66°N), indicate that repeated GPS surveys are likely to provide a large amount of information on withinyear and between-year changes of surface topography and are not subject to the errors in mass balance calculations which arise from probing snow depths along selected profiles. Kinematic GPS surveying of several glaciers within an area would overcome the difficulties arising when mass balance studies are confined to a single glacier within a particular area.     

2000—2014年喀喇昆仑山音苏盖提冰川表面高程变化

喀喇昆仑山区冰川由于存在正物质平衡或跃动、前进现象，被称之为“喀喇昆仑异常”，不过该地区冰川变化差异显著，尤其是大型表碛覆盖冰川，呈现与其他类型冰川明显的差异性响应，为理解喀喇昆仑冰川异常的机理，冰川尺度的详细变化研究十分必要。音苏盖提冰川位于喀喇昆仑山乔戈里峰北坡，是中国面积最大的冰川，是典型的大型表碛覆盖冰川。通过应用TanDEM-X/TerraSAR-X（2014年2月）与SRTM-X DEM（2000年2月）的差分干涉测量方法计算音苏盖提冰川表面高程变化，并结合冰川表面流速对冰川表面高程变化和跃动进行分析和讨论。结果表明：2000—2014年音苏盖提冰川表面高程平均下降了1.68±0.94 m，即冰川整体厚度在减薄，年变化率为-0.12±0.07 m·a^-1。冰川表面高程变化分布不均，其中南分支（S）冰流冰川整体减薄较为显著，冰川南分支冰流运动速度较快，前进/跃动的末端占据了冰川的主干，阻滞原主干冰川物质的向下运移（跃动），导致原主干冰舌表面高程上升；冰川厚度减薄随着海拔升高先下降后保持稳定，同时呈现一定的波动性；低海拔表碛区域消融大于裸冰区，可能存在较薄表碛，因热传导高、覆盖大量冰面湖塘和冰崖存在，加速了冰川消融；在坡度小于30 °的区域，冰川厚度减薄随着坡度的减小而加剧；坡向朝南冰川厚度略微增加（0.01 m），西南坡向冰川厚度略微减薄（-0.03 m），其他坡向冰川厚度减薄明显。近14 a来，表碛覆盖的音苏盖提冰川表面高程整体下降表明物质处于亏损状态，冰川跃动导致局部冰川表面高程的增加。     

Reconstruction and Regional Significance of the Coire Breac Palaeoglacier,Glen Esk,Eastern Grampian Highlands,Scotland

We present a glaciological and climatic reconstruction of a former glacier in Coire Breac, an isolated cirque within the Eastern Grampian plateau of Scotland, 5 km from the Highland edge. Published glacier reconstructions of presumed Younger Dryas‐age glaciers in this area show that equilibrium line altitudes decreased steeply towards the east coast, implying a arctic maritime glacial environment. Extrapolation of the ELA trend surface implies that glaciers should have existed in suitable locations on the plateau, a landscape little modified by glaciation. In Coire Breac, a 0.35 km² cirque glacier existed with an equilibrium line altitude of 487 ± 15 m above present sea level. The equilibrium line altitude matches closely the extrapolated regional equilibrium line altitude trend surface for Younger Dryas Stadial glaciers. The mean glacier thickness of 24 m gives an ice volume of 7.8 × 10⁶ m³, and a maximum basal shear stress of c. 100 kPa^?1. Ablation gradient was c. –0.0055 m m^?1, with a mean July temperature at the equilibrium line altitude of c. 5.1°C. The reconstruction implies an arctic maritime climate of low precipitation with local accumulation enhanced by blown snow, which may explain the absence of other contemporary glaciers nearby. Reconstructed ice flow lines show zones of flow concentration around the lower ice margin which help to explain the distribution of depositional facies associated with a former debris cover which may have delayed eventual glacier retreat. No moraines in the area have been dated, so palaeoclimatic interpretations remain provisional, and a pre‐Lateglacial Interstadial age cannot be ruled out.     

1959年来中国天山冰川资源时空变化

基于两期冰川编目数据与气象数据,对天山1959年来冰川资源的时空变化特征进行研究。研究发现：① 天山地区现有冰川7934条,面积7179.77 km²,冰储量756.48 km³。冰川数量以面积< 1 km²的冰川居多,面积以1~10 km²和≥ 20 km²的冰川为主,冰川集中分布在海拔3800~4800 m之间。② 在四级流域中,阿克苏河流域冰川面积最大为1721.75 km²,面积最小的是伊吾河流域,为56.03 km²。在各市（州）中,阿克苏地区冰川资源量最多,其面积和储量分别占天山总量的43.28%和68.85%;冰川资源量最少的市（州）是吐鲁番地区,面积和储量仅占天山总量的0.23%和0.07%。③ 1959年来,天山地区冰川面积减少了1619.82 km²（-18.41%）,储量亏损了104.78 km³（-12.16%）,其中数量以< 1 km²的冰川减少最多,面积减少以< 5 km²的冰川最为严重。④ 冰川变化呈现明显的区域差异,变化速度最快的是天山东段博格达北坡流域,变化最慢的是中部的渭干河流域。初步分析认为夏季气温显著上升带来的消融大于年内降水带来的积累是天山冰川退缩的主要原因。     

玉龙喀什河源区32年来冰川变化遥感监测

根据航空相片、地形图、遥感影像数据分析了玉龙喀什河源区的冰川变化,结果表明,1970~2001年本区冰川总体上以稳定冰川的数量占多数,但由于部分冰川的退缩使得整个研究区的冰川表现为萎缩的趋势。1970~1989年冰川规模有扩大的趋势,冰川面积、储量分别增加了1.4 km²、0.4781 km³,约占1970年研究区相应总量的0.12%、0.19%;而1989~2001年的冰川面积、储量分别比1970年减少了0.5%、0.4%,是西北干旱区冰川面积变化幅度最小的区域。分析认为该区域1970~1989年冰川扩大可能与该地区的冰川对20世纪60年代末温度降低、降水量增加有10~20年滞后响应有关;1989~2001年冰川退缩,主要受温度快速上升影响,而丰富的降水对冰川退缩起到缓冲的作用。     

Study of annual mass balance(2011–2013) of Rikha Samba Glacier,Hidden Valley,Mustang, Nepal

Although Himalayan glaciers are of particular interest in terms of future water supplies, regional climate changes, and sea-level rises, little is known about them due to lack of reliable and consistent data. There is a need for monitoring these glaciers to bridge this knowledge gap and to provide field measurements necessary to calibrate and validate the results from different remote sensing operations. Therefore, glaciological observations have been carried out by the Cryosphere Monitoring Project(CMP) since September 2011 on Rikha Samba Glacier in Hidden valley, Mustang district in western Nepal in order to study its annual mass balance. This paper presents the first results of that study. There are 10 glaciers in Hidden Valley, named G1, G2, G3, up to G10. Of these, G5 is the Rikha Samba Glacier, which has the largest area(5.37 km2) in this valley and the highest and lowest altitudes(6,476 and 5,392 m a.s.l., respectively). The glacier mass balance discussed in this paper was calculated using the glaciological method and the equilibrium line altitude(ELA). The glacier showed a negative annual point mass balance along the longitudinal profile of its lower part from September 10, 2011 to October 3, 2012. Stake measurements from October 4, 2012 to September 30, 2013 indicated a negative areal average of annual mass balance-0.088±0.019 m w.e. for the whole glacier. Based on these observations, the ELA of the Rikha Samba Glacier is estimated at 5,800 m a.s.l. in 2013. This negative balance may be due to rising air temperatures in the region, which have been incrementally rising since 1980 accompanied by little or no significant increase in precipitation in that period. The negative mass balance confirms the general shrinking trend of the glacier.     

中亚天山山区冰雪变化及其对区域水资源的影响

冰川和积雪是构成山区固体水库的主体,对区域水资源稳定性具有调节功能,但深受气候变化的影响。以中亚天山为研究区域,基于长时间序列的观测数据,分别从冰川、积雪、水储量、径流等方面进行分析,并选取阿克苏河、开都河及乌鲁木齐河3个典型流域,研究天山山区冰雪变化对流域水资源的影响。结果表明：① 冰川退缩速率与面积的函数关系为f（x） = -0.53×x^-0.15 （R² = 0.42,RMSE = 0.086）,说明小型冰川对气候变化的响应更为敏感。同时,中低海拔区域的冰川退缩速率大于高海拔区域;② 2003-2015年天山山区水储量的递减速率为-0.7±1.53 cm/a,天山中部区域的递减速率最大,这一结果与该区域冰川急剧退缩相吻合;③ 近半个多世纪以来,冰雪融水径流增加是这3个典型流域径流量增加的主要原因,其中阿克苏河增幅最大（达0.4×10⁸ m³/a）。但自20世纪90年代中期以来,3个流域的径流量都呈减少趋势,与流域内冰川面积减少、厚度变薄及平衡线海拔升高的关系密切。研究结果揭示了气候变化驱动下的山区固态水体储量变化对流域水资源的影响机制,以期为流域水资源管理提供有价值的决策参考。     

Re-Dating the Moraines at Skálafellsjökull and Heinabergsjökull using different Lichenometric Methods: Implications for the Timing of the Icelandic Little Ice Age Maximum

Little Ice Age (LIA) moraines along the margins of Skálafellsjökull and Heinabergsjökull, two neighbouring outlet glaciers flowing from the Vatnajökull ice‐cap, have been re‐dated to test the reliability of different lichenometric approaches. During 2003, 12 000 lichens were measured on 40 moraine fragments at Skálafellsjökull and Heinabergsjökull to provide surface age proxies. The results are revealing. Depending on the chosen method of analysis, Skálafellsjökull either reached its LIA maximum in the early 19th century (population gradient) or the late 19th century (average of five largest lichens), whereas the LIA maximum of Heinabergsjökull occurred by the mid‐19th century (population gradient) or late‐19th century (average of 5 largest lichens). Discrepancies (c. 80 years for Skálafellsjökull and c. 40 years for Heinabergsjökull) suggest that the previously cited AD 1887 LIA maxima for both glaciers should be reassessed. Dates predicted by the lichen population gradient method appear to be the most appropriate, as mounting evidence from other geochronological reconstructions and sea‐ice records throughout Iceland tends to support an earlier LIA glacier maximum (late 18th to mid‐19th century) and probably reflects changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation. These revised chronologies shed further light on the precise timing of the Icelandic LIA glacier maximum, whilst improving our understanding of glacier‐climate interactions in the North Atlantic.     

1990-2011年西昆仑峰区冰川变化的遥感监测

本文应用Landsat 5、7 TM、ETM+影像分析1990-2011年昆仑山西段昆仑峰区冰川变化特征,结果表明:1990-2011年冰川面积减少16.83 km²,退缩率仅为0.65%,冰川退缩趋势不明显。单条冰川变化有进有退,中峰冰川末端在2002-2004年以661 m/a的速率前进,初步判定为跃动冰川。1991-1998年,崇测冰川面积增加9.47 km²,冰川末端以200 m/a的速率前进,不排除有跃动冰川的可能性。尽管近年来全球气温普遍上升,大量冰川处于退缩状态,但统计已有研究结果发现近50年来青藏高原存在冰川长度、面积增加,冰川物质平衡为正的现象,表现出冰川对气候变化复杂的反馈机制。通过分析气象站点和冰芯资料,研究区周边地区气温上升、降水量缓慢增加可能是冰川微弱退缩的原因之一;增强的西风环流带来更多的降水、研究区以极大陆型大规模冰川为主,也可能是冰川退缩幅度较小的原因。     

60-year changes and mechanisms of Urumqi Glacier No. 1 in the eastern Tianshan of China,Central Asia

Worldwide examination of glacier change is based on detailed observations from only a small number of glaciers. The ground-based detailed individual glacier monitoring is of strong need and extremely important in both regional and global scales. A long-term integrated multi-level monitoring has been carried out on Urumqi Glacier No. 1 (UG1) at the headwaters of the Urumqi River in the eastern Tianshan Mountains of Central Asia since 1959 by the Tianshan Glaciological Station, Chinese Acamedey of Sciences (CAS), and the glaciological datasets promise to be the best in China. The boundaries of all glacier zones moved up, resulting in a shrunk accumulation area. The stratigraphy features of the snowpack on the glacier were found to be significantly altered by climate warming. Mass balances of UG1 show accelerated mass loss since 1960, which were attributed to three mechanisms. The glacier has been contracting at an accelerated rate since 1962, resulting in a total reduction of 0.37 km² or 19.3% from 1962 to 2018. Glacier runoff measured at the UG1 hydrometeorological station demonstrates a significant increase from 1959 to 2018 with a large interannual fluctuation, which is inversely correlated with the glacier's mass balance. This study analyzes on the changes in glacier zones, mass balance, area and length, and streamflow in the nival glacial catchment over the past 60 years. It provides critical insight into the processes and mechanisms of glacier recession in response to climate change. The results are not only representative of those glaciers in the Tianshan mountains, but also for the continental-type throughout the world. The direct observation data form an essential basis for evaluating mountain glacier changes and the impact of glacier shrinkage on water resources in the interior drainage rivers within the vast arid and semi-arid land in northwestern China as well as Central Asia.     

Mass Balance Methods on Kongsvegen, Svalbard

On the glacier Kongsvegen (102 km²) in northwest Spitsbergen, Svalbard, traditional mass balance measurements by stake readings and snow surveying have been conducted annually since 1987. In addition, repeated global positioning system (GPS) profiling, shallow core analysis and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveying have been applied. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the input from the different methods, especially the GPS profiling, using the results from the traditional direct method as a reference. The annual flow rate on Kongsvegen is low (2 ? 3 m a^?1), and the emergence velocity is almost negligible. Thus the geometry changes of the glacier, i.e. the change in altitude per distance from the head of the glacier, should reflect the change in net balance of the glacier. The mean annual altitude change from the longitudinal, centreline GPS profiles was compared to the direct stake readings and showed a very good agreement. On Kongsvegen the measured actual ice flux is so low that the mass transfer down-glacier at the mean equlibrium line altitude is less than 10% of what is needed to maintain steady-state geometry. This is clearly shown in the changing altitude profiles. GPS profiling can be used on large glaciers in remote areas to monitor geometry changes, ice flow and net mass balance changes. However, it requires that the centreline profile changes are representative for the area/altitude intervals, i.e. that the accumulation and ablation pattern is evenly distributed. For this purpose the GPR surveying quickly gave the snow distribution variability over long distances. Shallow cores drilled in different altitudes in the accumulation area were analysed to detect radioactive reference layers from the fallout after the Chernobyl accident in 1986, and showed very good agreement to the direct measured net balance. Thus older reference horizons from bomb tests in 1962 could be used to extend the net balance series backwards.     

1990-2015年喜马拉雅山东段中国和不丹边境地区冰川变化研究

利用Landsat影像，EDM影像等数据资料，使用遥感图像处理及目视解译方法提取了喜马拉雅山东段中国与不丹边境地区冰川从1990—2015年4期边界，研究其与气温降水变化关系，并选取特定冰川，对其表面流速进行估算。研究表明：1990—2015年，该地区冰川退缩速率达0.43%·a^-1，并且冰川年退缩率逐渐增大，表明冰川消融速度逐渐加快。该时段内，气温呈现明显上升趋势，导致了冰川的快速消融。通过对冰川表面流速的估算，得出中国与不丹边境地区研究选取的冰前湖对冰川流速具有促进作用，加速冰川消融。     

细胞周期监测点激酶2突变与乳腺癌相关的研究进展

细胞周期检测点激酶2（checkpoint kinase 2,CHEK2）是由CHEK2基因编码的DNA双链断裂损伤的重要信号转导蛋白,参与G₁期、S期和G₂/M期的阻滞。CHEK2基因突变和乳腺癌病理特征与预后相关,是乳腺癌重要的易感基因。CHEK2有1100delC、Y390C以及I157T等多种突变形式,通过多条不同通路,如SDF-1和IL-6、BRCA1/2等影响细胞周期监测点的功能。在化疗方面,寻找CHEK2抑制剂以增强化疗或放疗对肿瘤细胞的杀伤效果也是当前的研究热点之一。本文针对乳腺癌中CHEK2突变的形式、机制以及可能的治疗靶点做一综述。     

Moraine Formation at an Advancing Temperate Glacier: Brigsdalsbreen, Western Norway

Owing to increased winter balances especially since AD 1988/89, almost all valley outlet glaciers of Jostedalsbreen in western Norway are experiencing the largest advance since that of the early 18th century, the regional "Little Ice Age" maximum. Brigsdalsbreen advanced 441 m between 1987 and 1997. By the end of this period, the glacier had reached the outlet of the proglacial lake Brigsdalsvatnet, ploughing into unfrozen, fine-grained, water-soaked glaciolimnic sediments from the lake bottom and forming frontal moraines. These moraines are characterised by a lack of internal structures and preferred fabric. Owing to the strong advance, the moraine morphology is constantly changing, leaving only temporary moraine ridges.
Observations made along the glacier front suggest that the formation of these moraines can best be described as "bulldozed moraines", since the term push moraine, commonly associated with advancing glaciers, should be restricted to permafront environments. Different processes involved in moraine formation at frontal and lateral glacier margins result from variations in proglacial sediment properties, microrelief and glacier dynamics. Among these processes, large boulders left in the proglacial areas are pushed forward, forming pressure ridges on the distal side. Some of the largest boulders ( c . 80–120 m³) are overturned or rotated by the glacier.     

近30年珠穆朗玛峰国家自然保护区冰川变化的遥感监测

利用1976、1988和2006年的3期陆地卫星遥感数据,采用面向对象的解译方法并结合专家知识分类规则自动提取珠穆朗玛峰国家自然保护区(以下简称珠峰保护区)3个时期的冰川信息,并利用遥感、地理信息系统和图谱的方法对冰川时空分布特征和变化及其原因与不确定性进行了分析。结果如下:(1)2006年珠峰保护区内冰川面积为2710.17±0.011km²,为研究区总面积的7.41%,主要分布在研究区南部海拔4700～6800m的高山区;(2)1976-2006年,珠峰保护区冰川持续退缩明显,总面积减少501.91±0.035km²,冰湖扩张迅速(净增加36.88±0.035km²);研究区南坡子流域冰川退缩率(16.79%)高于北坡子流域(14.40%);珠峰保护区冰川以退缩为主,退缩冰川主要分布于海拔4700～6400m,退缩区上限海拔为6600～6700m;(3)1976年以来,气温显著上升和降水减少是冰川退缩的关键因素。     

Modelling Changes in Glacier Mass Balance that may Occur as a Result of Climate Changes

Projections of changes in glacier mass balance caused by climate changes involve modelling present mass balance in terms of climate and then perturbing the climate variables to calculate future mass balance. The simplest model involves linear regression of mass balance time series on temperature and precipitation data at stations close to the glacier but we prefer the degree-day model. This model uses temperature and precipitation to calculate snow accumulation, snow and ice melting, and possible refreezing of meltwater at regular altitude intervals on a glacier. Model parameters are still somewhat uncertain and are established for individual glaciers by tuning the model mass balance as a function of altitude to fit observed data. The model has been applied to 37 glaciers in different parts of the world so far and some details are given for Storglaciären to illustrate the approach. The sensitivity of modelled mass balance to a +1°C temperature increase shows a wide range for the 37 glaciers from about 0.1 to 1.3 m water a⁻¹ . Sub-polar glaciers have lower temperature sensitivities, and maritime and tropical glaciers have higher sensitivities.     

近30年来天山托木尔峰东侧分水岭处冰川变化

利用1978年出版的航测地形图与1976年MSS影像(地形图于20世纪70年代初期测绘)、1990年landsatTM影像、2002年CBERS影像对西天山托木尔峰以东分水岭处的5条冰川近30年来的动态变化进行了研究。研究结果表明,这5条冰川在1970年代初-2002年近30年来整体上处于退缩状态,这与该地区20世纪80、90年代气温升高导致冰雪消融加速而冬季降水量基本稳定即补给来源基本不变的趋势是相符合的。这也表明,在气候变暖的趋势下,该地区冰川的补给-消融动态平衡关系被打破,冰川总体上处于退缩状态。