Map Comparison or Traditional Mass-balance Measurements: Which Method is Better?

A number of Norwegian glaciers were selected in the 1960s for long-term mass-balance measurements, to produce necessary hydrological information for hydropower exploitation. Special large-scale glacier maps were produced for field work and data processing, and some glaciers have been mapped more than once. Thus, comparison of glacier maps can be used to calculate changes in glacier volume for some of the glaciers, provided they are of sufficient accuracy.
Conventional mass-balance measurements were carried out on all the selected glaciers. A cumulative calculation of net balances for a series of years is used to indicate the change in a glacier's volume during that period. However, various errors originate in the field, some of which are systematic, particularly on glaciers with large winter accumulation.
The present study indicates that certain errors are difficult to define and determine, For the maritime glacier Ålfotbreen, a cumulative mass-balance calculation gives a positive total balance (+3.4 m water equivalent in the period 1968–88), whereas the map comparison indicates a total negative balance (−5.8 m water equivalent). This indicates a discrepancy between the methods, which must be accounted for.
Determination of errors in mass-balance measurements is difficult. Sinking of stakes in the accumulation area and the use of sounding sticks (steel probes) in heavy snowlayers cause problems.     

A Mass Balance Model that Uses Low-altitude Meteorological Observations and the Area–Altitude Distribution of a Glacier

A glacier mass balance model that requires only low-altitude precipitation and temperature observations and the glacier's areaaltitude distribution is presented as an alternative to direct field measurements. Input to the model for South Cascade Glacier are daily weather observations at stations 30–60 km from the glacier and at altitudes 1300 to 1500 m lower than the glacier. The model relies on the internal consistency of mass balance variables that are generated by simulation using the low-altitude weather data. The daily values of such balance variables as snowline altitude, zero balance altitude, glacier balance, balance flux and the accumulation area ratio are correlated throughout the ablation season using two-degree polynomial regressions to obtain the lowest fitting error. When the minimum average error (or maximum R ²) is attained, the generated balances and other variables are considered to be real. A simplex optimization technique is used to determine the optimal coefficient values that are used in algorithms to convert meteorological observations to snow accumulation and snow and ice ablation. The independently produced simulation results for the 1959–1996 period are compared with balances measured at the glacier. The agreement between annual balances for individual years is fair and between long-term volume changes measured by the geodetic method is excellent.     

Measurement and Estimative Models of Glacier Mass Balance in China

Attributed to high altitude and inland location, the glaciers in China are characterized by very low temperature. The non-negligible contribution of up to 25% of superimposed ice to the net balance has been taken into account in the mass budget calculation. So too has the internal the accumulation in the infiltration zone of the accumulation area.
The prevailing monsoon climate delivers most of the annual precipitation over glaciated areas of China in the summer, making the major accumulation on those glaciers coincide with the ablation period. Therefore, the annual mass balance should be calculated neither by giving the place of annual accumulation to winter balance, nor annual ablation to summer balance. Rather, it is better done by net accumulation and net ablation during the year. In order to get the annual accumulation and the annual ablation on a glacier, the summer precipitation should be measured at the same time.
Frequent snowfall in the summer season results in intensive fluctuation of surface albedo. This means that, for lack of data on the extremes of ablation, reconstruction of mass balance is unsatisfactory when based on the relationships of accumulation and ablation to precipitation and temperature. The establishment of models, either on the relationship of multi-year mass balance to the equilibrium line and the mass balance gradient of a glacier in steady-state, or on the maximum entropy principle and the hydrometeorological data, helps to estimate the multi-year mass balance of the glacierized area in a mountain range or drainage basin.     

Snow accumulation, melt, mass loss, and the near-surface ice temperature structure of Irenebreen, Svalbard

This study examines the mass balance, accumulation, melt, and near-surface ice thermal structure of Irenebreen, a 4.1 km² glacier located in northwest Spitsbergen, Svalbard. Traditional glaciological mass balance measurements by stake readings and snow surveying have been conducted annually at the glacier since 2002, yielding a mean annual net mass balance of −65 cm w.e. for the period 2002–2009. In 2009, the annual mass balance of Irenebreen was −63 cm w.e. despite above-average snow accumulation in winter. The near-surface ice temperature in the accumulation area was investigated with automatic borehole thermistors. The mean annual surface ice temperatures (September–August) of the accumulation area were −3.7 °C at 1 m depth and −3.3 °C at 10 m depth. Irenebreen is potentially polythermal, with cold ice and a temperate surface layer during summer. This temperate surface layer is influenced by seasonal changes in temperature. In winter, the temperature of all the ice is below the melting point and temperate layers are probably present in basal sections of the glacier. This supposition is supported by the presence of icings in the forefield of Irenebreen.     

Mass Balance Reconstruction Since 1963 and Mass Balance Model for East Rathong Glacier,Eastern Himalaya,Using Remote Sensing Methods

In this study mass balance, accumulation, ablation, runoff and temperature lapse rate for the East Rathong glacier are estimated for the time period 1963–2011 using remote sensing methods and climate data. A mass balance model is proposed for the glacier that computes mass balance as difference of volumes of consecutive years. Volume estimates of glacier are based on application of volume–area scaling law to glacier area computed from satellite images. It is observed that the glacier is summer‐accumulation type. Time series analysis is applied to the annual mass balance series. The annual mass balance of the glacier is showing a statistically significant negative trend. It is also showing a statistically significant shift in the year 1985. Change in the mean of mass balance before and after the shift year is 0.19 m w.e. Cumulative mass balance suggests that the glacier has lost ～11 m w.e. or 0.047 km³ during the last 48 years.     

Measurements and Models of the Mass Balance of Hintereisferner

This paper summarizes the methods applied to determine the mass balance of Hintereisferner and several other glaciers in the Tyrolean Alps since 1952. On an annual basis the direct glaciological method was applied with fixed date measurements on 10–15 accumulation pits and 30–90 ablation stakes on 9 km².
Indirect mass balance determination from equilibrium line altitude, accumulation area ratios or representative stakes, yield fair results and some exceptions could be related to anomalous meteorological conditions.
Monthly or more frequent stake readings supplied time series of ablation at various altitudes and slope aspects that served as basis for the calibration of energy and mass balance models. Of various models developed, two are presented in this paper. Both are based on degree days, one using daily values from a valley station to predict the mean annual balance of the entire glacier, while the other calculates day-to-day changes at 50-m grid points on the glacier.
The geodetic method has been applied for longer periods and yields results consistent with those of the glaciological method. The balance velocity calculated from recent ice thickness soundings and accumulation measurements is significantly less than observed velocity.     

How many Stakes are Required to Measure the Mass Balance of a Glacier?

Glacier mass balance is estimated for South Cascade Glacier and Maclure Glacier using a one-dimensional regression of mass balance with altitude as an alternative to the traditional approach of contouring mass balance values. One attractive feature of regression is that it can be applied to sparse data sets where contouring is not possible and can provide an objective error of the resulting estimate. Regression methods yielded mass balance values equivalent to contouring methods. The effect of the number of mass balance measurements on the final value for the glacier showed that sample sizes as small as five stakes provided reasonable estimates, although the error estimates were greater than for larger sample sizes. Different spatial patterns of measurement locations showed no appreciable influence on the final value as long as different surface altitudes were intermittently sampled over the altitude range of the glacier. Two different regression equations were examined, a quadratic, and a piecewise linear spline, and comparison of results showed little sensitivity to the type of equation. These results point to the dominant effect of the gradient of mass balance with altitude of alpine glaciers compared to transverse variations. The number of mass balance measurements required to determine the glacier balance appears to be scale invariant for small glaciers and five to ten stakes are sufficient.     

Inferring Glacier Mass Balance Using Radarsat: Results From Peyto Glacier, Canada

The capability of RADARSAT synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for the purpose of snow-line/accumulation area mapping for a temperate alpine glacier is examined. In agreement with other orbital C-band SAR studies, RADARSAT can discriminate between firn and bare ice facies. Limited observations are reported with respect to the electromagnetic variability of the ice facies in the ablation area, but they are inconclusive. Operational considerations are discussed with respect to reconciling the uncertainties of late-summer weather and their possible impact on the dielectric and scattering properties of the glacier surface. Vagaries associated with other glacier settings, mass balance states and their associated facies configurations are discussed including the difficulty of using the transient snow-line to define the equilibrium line and the lower extent of the accumulation area for glaciers where superimposed ice may form.
The radar remote-sensing reconnaissance of equilibrium line altitude (ELA) and accumulation area ratio (AAR) for estimating glacier mass balance requires serious consideration in those instances where traditional ground measurements used in the direct glaciological method are absent. However, with respect to the ELA, such estimates can vary depending on the accuracy of the reference digital elevation information. Moreover, for many glacier configurations, where mass balance variations due to altitude are influenced or in some cases completely masked by local balance variations, defining the ELA may be an irreconcilable problem. Using the AAR may be more robust in this regard. It is further determined that the total error inherent in the reconnaissance method would have serious implications for the confident estimation of mass balance normals and climate-related trends if the method were to be utilized over the longer term.     

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.     

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.     

Glacial mass balance of Austre Brøggerbreen (Spitsbergen), 1971–1999, modelled with a precipitation-run-off model

An energy balance based HBV model was calibrated to the run-off from Bayelva catchment in western Spitsbergen, Svalbard. The model simulated the glacier mass balance, and the results were compared to observations at Austre Brøggerbreen for the period 1971-1997. Even though the model was optimized to observed run-off from a catchment in which the glaciers constitute 50% of the area, and not to the observation of glacier mass balance, the model was able to reconstruct the trends and values of the mass balance found through observations. On average the simulation gave a negative net balance of 696 mm. The observed average is 442 mm. The simulated winter accumulation was in average for the same period 9% lower and the summer ablation 17% higher than the observed. The years 1994-96 show deviations between simulated and observed winter accumulation up to 160%. This can probably be accounted for by extreme rainfall during the winter, leading to thick ice layers which make accurate observations difficult. The higher simulated summer ablation might indicate that the glaciers in the catchment as a whole have a larger negative mass balance than Austre Brøggerbreen. The simulations showed that the glacier mass-balance would be in equilibrium with a summer temperature 1.2°C lower than the average over the last decades or with a 100% increase in the winter (snow) precipitation. These are higher values than former estimates. A combined change of temperature and precipitation showed a synergic effect and thereby less extreme values.     

Comparing Traditional Mass Balance Measurements with Long-term Volume Change Extracted from Topographical Maps: A Case Study of Storbreen Glacier in Jotunheimen, Norway, for the Period 1940–1997

Storbreen glacier is situated in the western part of Jotunheimen, a mountain area in central southern Norway. Annual mass balance data have been recorded since 1949. In addition, detailed topographical maps at the scale 1:10,000 exist from the years 1940, 1951, 1968, 1984 and 1997. In this paper, volume change calculated from maps is compared with annual mass balance data. The volume change was in reasonable agreement with the measured cumulative mass balance for the periods 1940–1951 and 1968–1984; however, for the periods 1951–1968 and 1984–1997, the mass balance measurements showed larger negative values than obtained from map comparisons. One obvious reason for this is the inaccuracy of the contour lines in the upper areas of the glacier on maps from 1940 and 1951. Other factors influencing the result are tested, and also suggestions are given for improving the techniques for mapping glacier volume changes.     

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.     

SURFACE MASS BALANCE AND ITS VARIATION ON THE MIZUHO PLATEAU, ANTARCTICA IN 1987-1988

From the surface mass accumulation data in year of 1987/88, the distribution and variation of annual mass balance on Mizuho Plateau are discussed. The authors also analyze the effects of shortterm climatic and topographical variations on the mass balance. It is found that there are some differences in spatial distribution and annual average state in the year of 1987/88 and other years. Ia the area at elevation lower than 550 m near the coast, the mass balance appears to be negative. The annual mass balance over 80 km distance from S_(16) to inland is 0.84m snow depth. A low mass balance zone from 80 km site to Mizuho Station, is considered to be only 0.14 m snow depth. It is found from the comparison of mass balances that the mass-balance level on the glaciers in West China is 9 times higher than that on Mizuho Plateau, where the massbalance level appears to be low accumulative and low expensive, but inverse in middle and low latitude regions, such as on glaciers in West China. The effects of short-term     

气候变化背景下冰川积雪融水对博斯腾湖水位变化的影响

依据近50年来博斯腾湖流域开都河大山口水文站径流数据和8个气象台站的气温、降水、积雪融水资料,并借助相邻流域天山1号冰川物质平衡资料,对气候变化背景下冰川和积雪融水对开都河径流量及博湖水位的贡献率进行了诊断分析。通过多元线性拟合法和偏相关分析法研究表明,1号冰川物质平衡与大山口水文站年径流量具有显著反相关关系,相关系数-0.28,但开都河年径流量变化并不能完全由冰川融水解释,降水和积雪融水的影响也非常重要,它们与大山口年径流的偏相关系数分别为0.57和0.40,超过99.9%和99%置信度水平。气温、降水、积雪融水拟合年径流与观测年径流的相关系数达0.63,超过99.9%置信度水平。各季节分析表明,春、秋季的降水和气温对径流具有显著影响,偏相关系数分别为0.52和0.37;夏季主要是冰川和积雪融水对径流的影响,其中积雪融水与径流的偏相关系数达0.51。夏季是一年中径流最大的季节,其变化主导着年径流量的变化,因此冰雪融水作为博斯腾湖的入湖水源,对博斯腾湖水位变化的影响不容忽视。     

天山乌一号冰川物质平衡特征的统计分析

利用天山乌鲁木齐河源一号冰川物质平衡的多年观测资料,通过数学统计方法提取主成分,获得影响该冰川物质平衡的主要因素,通过成分矩阵的旋转获得表示冰川物质平衡特征的两个主因子,其中第一主因子为影响冰川物质平衡的常年因子,代表该冰川的多年持续变化方向与趋势,第二主因子为影响冰川物质平衡的年际因子,代表该冰川在平衡年内的物质平衡变化特征。常年因子的持续下降反映了冰川持续后退的现实,年际因子在上世纪80年代中期以后突然强劲上升,实际上是冰川物质平衡水平提高,平衡年内积累量和消融量都增加的表现,清晰地指示了西北地区气候由暖干向暖湿的转型。常年因子是冰川物质平衡变化的主导因子,控制了冰川变化的方向。常年因子具有较好的周期性,以6年周期最为明显,但其形成原因尚不明。年际因子周期性不明显,但可以看出其周期与太阳黑子变化具有相关性,同时受到常年因子的影响。     

The thermal structure of Hansbreen, a tidewater glacier in southern Spitsbergen, Svalbard

Ice temperature measurements were taken from three shallow and five deep (to bedrock) boreholes on Hansbreen, Svalbard, in selected years between 1988 and 1994. In general, results show a subpolar, polythermal structure. The glacier accumulation zone is of warm ice within the entire vertical profile except the uppermost layer of seasonal temperature fluctuations where there is an upper cold ice layer in the ablation zone which varies in thickness and may even be absent in the western lateral part. The upper layer of cold ice thins along the glacier centre-line from the equilibrium line altitude down to the glacier front. The depth of the pressure melting, indicating the base of the cold ice layer, was defined at the borehole measurement sites but was not manifested as an internal reflection horizon using multi-frequency radar methods. The isotherm lies about 20 m above a radar internal reflecting horizon near the equilibrium line altitude and about 40 m above it in the frontal part of the glacier. The internal reflection horizon almost certainly reflects the high water content within temperate ice and not the cold/temperate ice interface. At 10 m depth, the temperatures are 2–3°C higher than the calculated mean annual air temperatures, demonstrating the importance of meltwater refreezing on the release of latent heat.     

Mass Balance Measurements on the Lemon Creek Glacier, Juneau Icefield, Alaska 1953–1998

Annual balance measurements on the Lemon Creek Glacier, Alaska conducted by the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) from 1953 through 1998 provide a continuous 46 year record. This is one of the nine American glaciers selected in a global monitoring network during the International Geophysical year, 1957/58. These data have been acquired primarily by employing consistent ground methods, conducted on similar annual dates and calculated using comparable methodology. The results have been until now fairly precise, but of uncertain accuracy. An adjunct comparison of topographic surface maps of the glacier made in 1957 and 32 years later in 1989 provides a rough determination of glacier surface elevation changes which are clearly of less precision than the compilation of annual ground data. Airborne surface profiling in 1995, and global positioning system leveling transects in 1996–1998 update the record of surface elevation changes over the past decade. The mean glacier ice thickness reductions suggested by these methods from 1957–1989, from 1957–1995 and from 1957–1998 are ?13.2 m, ?16.4 m, and ?21.7 m, respectively. It is of interest that the geodetic interpretations agree fairly well with the trend of sequential balances from ground-level stratigraphic measurements. To date, however, the infrequent mapping methods in this study have yielded specific balances averaging between 5 and 11% less than those resulting from our annual on-site glaciological monitoring. For future studies this can be an important factor. The ground data are, therefore, the ones in which we have most confidence. These show cumulative ice losses of ?13.9 m (12.7 m water equivalent w.e.) from 1957–1989, of ?19.0 m (?17.1 m w.e.) from 1957–1995, of ?24.4 m (22 m w.e.) from 1957–1998, and ?24.7 m (22.2 m w.e.) for the total cumulative loss over the full 46 years between 1953 and 1998. Although the balance trend has been increasingly negative it averages ?0.48 m/a in w.e. or 0.52 m of ice loss per year. To refine the reliability of density determinations in this data set the effects of internal accumulation from refrozen meltwater producing diagenetic ice structures in the annual firnpack have been taken into account. An unusual dearth of such structures within the 1997/98 firnpack provided a unique opportunity to facilitate application of the probing technique over broad areas of the nv. This added to our ground truth and verified accuracy of the test-pit measurements used in these long-term mass balance computations. The glacier's continuing negative mass balance has fueled a terminal retreat of 800 m during the 1953–1998 period. The annual balance trend indicates that despite a higher mean elevation and a higher elevation terminus from thinning and retreat, mean annual balance has been strongly negative since 1977 (?0.78 m/a w.e.). Dramatically increased negative mass balances have occurred in the 1990s, with 1996 and 1997 being the only years on record with no retained accumulation since field observations were initiated in the glacier source areas in 1948.     

Applicability of an ultra-long-range terrestrial laser scanner to monitor the mass balance of Muz Taw Glacier, Sawir Mountains, China

Glacier mass balance is a key component of glacier monitoring programs. Information on the mass balance of Sawir Mountains is poor due to a dearth of in-situ measurements. This paper introduces the applicability of an ultra-long-range terrestrial laser scanner(TLS) to monitor the mass balance of Muz Taw Glacier, Sawir Mountains, China. The Riegl VZ?-6000 TLS is exceptionally well-suited for measuring snowy and icy terrain. Here, we use TLS to create repeated high spatiotemporal resolution DEMs, focusing on the annual mass balance(June 2, 2015 to July 25, 2016). According to TLS-derived high spatial resolution point clouds, the front variation(glacier retreat) of Muz Taw Glacier was 9.3 m. The mean geodetic elevation change was 4.55 m at the ablation area. By comparing with glaciological measurements, the glaciological elevation change of individual stakes and the TLS-derived geodetic elevation change of corresponding points matched closely, and the calculated balance was-3.864±0.378 m w.e.. This data indicates that TLS provides accurate results and is therefore suitable to monitor mass balance evolution of Muz Taw Glacier.     

Accumulation in Svalbard glaciers deduced from ice cores with nuclear tests and Chernobyl reference layers

Mean net annual balance and the related spatio-temporal variations have been determined on the basis of well-dated artificial layers in shallow ice cores (Chernobyl, 1986, and atmospheric thermonuclear tests, mainly in 1961-62 in Novaya Zemlya). Seventy ice cores from 13 Svalbard glaciers have been analysed. On each glacier, in its accumulation area and at the highest elevation, one ice core was recovered down to about 40 m and sampled for radioactivity measurements to determine the 1986 and 1962-63 layer (1954 was the initial date of the nuclear tests). For each glacier, at least five complementary ice cores from the accumulation area were analysed to determine the Chernobyl reference layer. Six ice cores exhibit both the Chernobyl and nuclear tests layers and are of special interest in this study.
This work provides new data on the deposition rates of natural and artificial radioisotopes. Using ice cores samples from the Arctic glaciers, even with superimposed ice accumulation, it is possible to distinguish between the Chernobyl and the nuclear tests fallouts. This work also shows that the mean annual net balance did not significantly change for at least five ice core locations in the Svalbard glaciers for the two periods extending from 1963 to 1986 to the recent date of drilling.