中国冰川区表碛厚度估算及其影响研究进展

表碛覆盖型冰川是中国西部分布较为广泛的冰川类型,其典型特征是冰川消融区部分或全部覆盖了一层厚度不一的表碛。与裸冰或雪相比,表碛覆盖层下冰的融化过程有独特性,表碛厚度空间分布对一条冰川的消融、物质平衡和径流过程的影响有别于无表碛覆盖型冰川。本文回顾了近年来表碛厚度分布及其影响的研究,通过对这些进展进行总结以进一步明晰表碛影响研究的方向;同时着重介绍了近期发展的基于遥感影像热红外波段和可见光近红外波段、大气—表碛层—冰川界面能量平衡过程的表碛厚度估算方法和表碛覆盖综合评估模型,结合地面观测,分析了以遥感反演的表碛层热阻系数表征表碛厚度的精度,介绍了这类模型在表碛覆盖型冰川物质平衡和径流研究中的应用效果,以及在综合评估流域/区域尺度表碛影响的应用情况,并分析了该模型存在的不足及进一步改进的研究方向,为实现中国西部区域表碛影响的系统评估奠定基础,从而提升对区域水资源和冰川灾害的模拟和预测能力。     

Spatial distribution of supraglacial debris thickness on glaciers of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and surroundings

Debris-covered glaciers, characterized by the presence of supraglacial debris mantles in their ablation zones, are widespread in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and surroundings. For these glaciers, thin debris layers accelerate the melting of underlying ice compared to that of bare ice, while thick debris layers retard ice melting, called debris-cover effect. Knowledge about the thickness and thermal properties of debris cover on CPEC glaciers is still unclear, making it difficult to assess the regional debris-cover effect. In this study, thermal resistance of the debris layer estimated from remotely sensed data reveals that about 54.0% of CPEC glaciers are debris-covered glaciers, on which the total debris-covered area is about 5,072 km², accounting for 14.0% of the total glacier area of the study region. We find that marked difference in the extent and thickness of debris cover is apparent from region to region, as well as the debris-cover effect. 53.3% of the total debris-covered area of the study region is concentrated in Karakoram, followed by Pamir with 30.2% of the total debris-covered area. As revealed by the thermal resistance, the debris thickness is thick in Hindu Kush on average, with the mean thermal resistance of 7.0×10^-2 ((m²?K)/W), followed by Karakoram, while the thickness in western Himalaya is thin with the mean value of 2.0×10^-2 ((m²?K)/W). Our findings provide a basis for better assessments of changes in debris-covered glaciers and their associated hydrological impacts in the CPEC and surroundings.     

1990-2019年贡嘎山地区典型冰川表碛覆盖变化及其空间差异

表碛覆盖型冰川是中国西部较为常见的冰川类型。表碛层存在于大气—冰川冰界面,强烈影响大气圈与冰冻圈之间的热交换。表碛厚度的空间异质性可极大地改变冰川的消融率和物质平衡过程,进而影响冰川径流过程和下游水资源。基于Landsat TM/TIRS数据,运用能量平衡方程反演了贡嘎山地区冰川表碛厚度,研究了贡嘎山地区冰川在1990—2019年间表碛覆盖范围及厚度变化情况,同时对比了东西坡差异。结果表明：① 贡嘎山地区冰川表碛扩张总面积达43.824 km²。其中,海螺沟冰川扩张2.606 km²、磨子沟冰川1.959 km²、燕子沟冰川1.243 km²、大贡巴冰川0.896 km²、小贡巴冰川0.509 km²、南门关沟冰川2.264 km²,年均扩张率分别为3.2%、11.1%、1.5%、0.9%、1.0%和6.5%;② 海螺沟冰川、磨子沟冰川、燕子沟冰川、大贡巴冰川、小贡巴冰川、南门关沟冰川表碛平均增厚分别为5.2 cm、3.1 cm、3.7 cm、6.8 cm、7.3 cm和13.1 cm;③ 西坡冰川表碛覆盖度高,表碛覆盖年均扩张率低,冰川末端退缩量小;东坡冰川表碛覆盖年均扩张率高,但表碛覆盖度总体低于西坡,冰川末端退缩量大。     

Estimate of Ablation Rate of Glacier Ice under a Supraglacial Debris Layer

The ablation rate under a debris layer is very difficult to measure directly at debris-covered glaciers, because the surface is highly heterogeneous, and the ablation rate varies tremendously from place to place. Heat budget considerations with a debris layer on top of glacier ice suggested that 'thermal resistance' of the debris layer could be estimated from surface temperature and the heat fluxes at the debris surface, and the ablation rate of the underlying glacier ice from the thermal resistance and meteorological data. The method was tested at the Lirung Glacier in Langtang Valley, Nepal Himalayas, using the thermal band of LANDSAT satellite for estimating surface temperature distribution of the debris top surface. The amount of melt water thus estimated was compatible with the observed discharge data from the glacier basin for periods of the monsoon season in 1985 and the pre-monsoon to the monsoon season in 1996. The investigation also revealed that the amount of discharge was much larger than the amount of precipitation over the basin, and it was suggested that the melt water from the debris-covered glacier contributes significantly to the river flow as a result of the shrinkage of the glacier.     

High-precision measurements of the inter-annual evolution for Urumqi Glacier No.1 in eastern Tien Shan,China

High-precision measuring of glacier evolution remains a challenge as the available global and regional remote sensing techniques cannot satisfactorily capture the local-scale processes of most small- and medium-sized mountain glaciers. In this study, we use a high-precision local remote sensing technique, long-range terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), to measure the evolution of Urumqi Glacier No.1 at an annual scale. We found that the dense point clouds derived from the TLS survey can be used to reconstruct glacier surface terrain, with certain details, such as depressions, debris-covered areas, and supra-glacial drainages can be distinguished. The glacier experienced pronounced thickness thinning and continuous retreat over the last four mass-balance years (2015-2019). The mean surface slope of Urumqi Glacier No.1 gradually steepened, which may increase the removal of glacier mass. The glacier was deeply incised by two very prominent primary supra-glacial rivers, and those rivers presented a widening trend. Extensive networks of supra-glacial channels had a significant impact on accelerated glacier mass loss. High-precision measuring is of vital importance to understanding the annual evolution of this type of glacier.     

1990—2015年喜马拉雅山冰川变化的遥感监测

基于Landsat系列遥感数据,运用比值阈值法（B3/B5）和目视解译,研究1990—2015年喜马拉雅山冰川面积的分布与变化特征。结果表明：25年间研究区冰川面积共减少2553.10 km²,年均退缩率为0.44%/a,研究时段冰川加速退缩。研究区冰川主要分布在西段地区,中段次之,东段最少,近25年来西段、东段和中段地区冰川均表现为退缩趋势,其中东段地区退缩最快,中段最慢。从地形分布和变化特征看,5°~25°范围内冰川的分布面积较多,近25年来各坡度等级冰川均在退缩,其中25°~30°之间冰川面积退缩较快,在极平缓/极陡峭地区退缩较慢。尽管8个坡向上冰川均表现为退缩趋势,但退缩幅度有所差异,北坡与西北坡冰川退缩较慢,其他坡向退缩较快。研究时段表碛物覆盖型与非表碛物覆盖型冰川均在退缩,但后者的退缩幅度较大,表明研究区表碛物在一定程度上抑制了冰川消融。     

基于无人机影像的冰面流速与高程变化提取方法

无人机遥感能够获取高精度、高分辨率的冰川表面三维形态,有助于揭示冰川的运动和消融变化,现已成为冰川变化监测的重要技术支撑。针对无人机高分辨率影像能够有效识别表碛覆盖型冰川表面细节特征点的优势,本文引入金字塔影像集和最小二乘匹配方法联合开展特征点的追踪,用以实现冰川表面特征点三维位移场提取和动态变化分析。以贡嘎山贡巴冰川冰舌区作为典型研究区域,利用高分辨率无人机影像生成消融期前后（2018年6月9日和10月17日）的正射影像数据和数字表面模型,基于2期正射影像提取冰川表面特征点并实施追踪以获得三维位移场,在此基础上初步探明贡巴冰川冰舌段表面位移速率最大为7.51 cm/d,垂向消融速率超过11 cm/d。本文相关研究数据和结果可为冰川及复杂地形山区地质灾害的监测提供参考。     

THE MORPHODYNAMICS OF THE MONT BLANC MASSIF IN A CHANGING CRYOSPHERE: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

One of the most glacierized areas in the European Alps, the Mont Blanc massif, illustrates how fast changes affect the cryosphere and the related morphodynamics in high mountain environments, especially since the termination of the Little Ice Age. Contrasts between the north‐west side, gentle and heavily glaciated, and the south‐east side, steep and rocky, and between local faces with varying slope angle and aspect highlight the suitability of the study site for scientific investigations. Glacier shrinkage is pronounced at low elevation but weaker than in other Alpine massifs, and supraglacial debris covers have developed over most of the glaciers, often starting in the nineteenth century. Lowering of glacier surface also affects areas of the accumulation zone. While modern glaciology has been carried out in the massif for several decades, study of the permafrost has been under development for only a few years, especially in the rock walls. Many hazards are related to glacier dynamics. Outburst flood from englacial pockets, ice avalanche from warm‐based and cold‐based glaciers, and rock slope failure due to debuttressing are generally increasing with the current decrease or even the vanishing of glaciers. Permafrost degradation is likely involved in rockfall and rock avalanche, contributing to the chains of processes resulting from the high relief of the massif. The resulting hazards could increasingly endanger population and activities of the valleys surrounding the Mont Blanc massif.     

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.     

INFLUENCE OF SUPRAGLACIAL DEBRIS ON SUMMER ABLATION AND MASS BALANCE IN THE 24K GLACIER,SOUTHEAST TIBETAN PLATEAU

Many temperate glaciers in the southeast Tibetan Plateau are covered by supraglacial debris in the ablation area. To evaluate the effect of such debris on summer ablation and mass balance, the surface ablation on the 24K Glacier was measured in the summer of 2008. Mean ablation rates varied from 10 to 52 mm/day, strongly correlated to debris thickness. Synchronous observations of air temperature allowed application of a simple degree‐day model to calculate ablation rates. Maximum values of both ablation rate and degree‐day factors appeared in the middle area of the glacier where the debris layer thickness was about 1 cm. The simulated daily ablation obtained from the degree‐day approach showed that the debris layers significantly affected the total summer ablation. The calculated ablation would be increased by 36% of the total ablation with the actual surface debris cover if glacier surface had been assumed to be entirely debris free. If completely covered by 65 cm thick debris in the ablation area, the glacier would experience a 59% decrease in summer ablation. The presence of a debris cover also leads to a change in the ablation gradient in the ablation zone.     

Glacier mapping in the Cordillera Blanca,Peru, tropical Andes,using Sentinel‐2 and Landsat data

Sentinel‐2 images were used for mapping debris‐free glaciers for the first time in Cordillera Blanca. Landsat‐8 and Sentinel‐2 data were compared for glacier area estimation in 2016, obtaining comparable results. It was observed that normalized difference snow index method for glacier mapping using MSI data is less sensitive to cast shadows and steep terrain compared with Landsat data. Estimated total glacier areas in 1975, 1994, and 2016 were 726 ± 20.3 km², 576.9 ± 15.1 km² and 482.8 ± 7.4 km², respectively. Glacier area in 2016 using Landsat was slightly lower (475.7 ± 16.8 km²) compared to the area estimated using MSI data. Observed glacier shrinkage between 1975 and 2016 was 33.5 per cent, which is lower compared to observed glacier area loss in the eastern cordilleras of Peru. Glacier shrinkage was higher at northern and northeastern slopes (47.9 per cent and 48.1 per cent, respectively) compared to the south‐western slopes (11.1 per cent).     

Decadal‐Scale Changes of the Ödenwinkelkees,Central Austria,Suggest Increasing Control of Topography and Evolution Towards Steady State

Small mountain glaciers have short mass balance response times to climate change and are consequently very important for short‐term contributions to sea level. However, a distinct research and knowledge gap exists between (1) wider regional studies that produce overview patterns and trends in glacier changes, and (2) in situ local scale studies that emphasise spatial heterogeneity and complexity in glacier responses to climate. This study of a small glacier in central Austria presents a spatiotemporally detailed analysis of changes in glacier geometry and changes in glaciological behaviour. It integrates geomorphological surveys, historical maps, aerial photographs, airborne LiDAR data, ground‐based differential global positioning surveys and Ground Penetrating Radar surveys to produce three‐dimensional glacier geometry at 13 time increments spanning from 1850 to 2013. Glacier length, area and volume parameters all generally showed reductions with time. The glacier equilibrium line altitude increased by 90 m between 1850 and 2008. Calculations of the mean bed shear stress rapidly approaching less than 100 kPA, of the volume–area ratio fast approaching 1.458, and comparison of the geometric reconstructions with a 1D theoretical model could together be interpreted to suggest evolution of the glacier geometry towards steady state. If the present linear trend in declining ice volume continues, then the Ödenwinkelkees will disappear by the year 2040, but we conceptualise that non‐linear effects of bed overdeepenings on ice dynamics, of supraglacial debris cover on the surface energy balance, and of local topographically driven controls, namely wind‐redistributed snow deposition, avalanching and solar shading, will become proportionally more important factors in the glacier net balance.     

Study of thermal properties of supraglacial debris and degree-day factors on Lirung Glacier,Nepal

The extensive debris that covers glaciers in the ablation zone of the Himalayan region plays an important part in regulating ablation rates and water availability for the downstream region. The melt rate of ice is determined by the amount of heat conducted through debris material lying over the ice. This study presents the vertical temperature gradients, thermal properties in terms of thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity, and positive degree-day factors for the debris-covered portion of Lirung Glacier in Langtang Valley, Nepal Himalaya using field-based measurements from three different seasons.Field measurements include debris temperatures at different debris thicknesses, air temperature, and ice melt during the monsoon(2013), winter(2013), and pre-monsoon(2014) seasons. We used a thermal equation to estimate thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity, and degree-day factors(DDF) were calculated from cumulative positive temperature and ice melt of the measurement period. Our analysis of debris temperature profiles at different depths of debris show the daily linear gradients of-20.81 °C/m, 4.05 °C/m, and-7.79 °C/m in the monsoon, winter, and pre-monsoon seasons, respectively. The values of thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity in the monsoon season were 10 times greater than in the winter season. The large difference in these values is attributed to surface temperature and moisture content within the debris. Similarly, we found higher values of DDFs at thinner debris for the pre-monsoon season than in the monsoon season although we observed less melting during the pre-monsoon season. This is attributed to higher cumulative temperature during the monsoon season than in the pre-monsoon season. Our study advances our understanding of heat conductivity through debris material in different seasons, which supports estimating ice melt and discharge from glacierized river basins with debris-covered glaciers in the Himalayan region.     

The Contribution of Geoelectrical Investigations in the Analysis of Periglacial and Glacial Landforms in Ice Free Areas of the Northern Foothills (Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica)

All periglacial and glacial landforms investigated in the Northern Foothills have a very thin active layer (0.1–0.3 m thickness) overlying a thin permafrost layer, characterised by electrical resistivities ranging between 13 and 50 kΩm and by different thicknesses. Below this surficial layer, different types of ground ice (with a resistivity range from 8000 to 0.1 kΩm) were detected. These different types of ground ice permitted ice-cored rock glaciers to be distinguished from ice-cemented rock glaciers, subsea permafrost to be identified in some raised beaches, and other interpretations to be suggested about a debris-covered glacier. These results have been obtained by vertical electrical soundings (VES) carried out in ice-free areas of the Northern Foothills, near Terra Nova Bay Station during the tenth national Italian expedition in Antarctica (1994–1995). In these areas on the basis of previous geomorphological research, some landforms such as rock glaciers, raised beaches with patterned ground and debris-covered glaciers were chosen to carry out the VES. The electrical prospection can be considered a good means for understanding the origins of landforms in ice-free areas of Antarctica and for making a contribution to the palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of this continent.     

Local Extremes in the Lidar‐Derived Snow Cover of Alpine Glaciers

Snow deposition and redistribution are major drivers of snow cover dynamics in mountainous terrain and contribute to the mass balance of alpine glaciers. The quantitative understanding of inhomogeneous snow distribution in mountains has recently benefited from advances in measuring technologies, such as airborne laser scanning (ALS). This contribution further advances the quantitative understanding of snow distribution by analysing the areas of maximum surface elevation changes in a mountain catchment with large and small glaciers. Using multi‐annual ALS observations, we found extreme surface elevation changes on rather thin borders along the glacier margins. While snow depth distribution patterns in less extreme terrain have presented high inter‐annual persistence, there is little persistence of those extreme glacier accumulations between winters. We therefore interpret the lack of persistence as the result of a predominance of gravity‐driven redistribution, which has an inherently higher random component because it does not occur with all conditions in all winters. In highly crevassed zones, the lidar‐derived surface elevation changes are caused by a complex interaction of ice flux divergence, the propagation of crevasses and snow accumulation. In general, the relative contribution of gravitational mass transport to glacier snow cover volume was found to decrease for glaciers larger than 5 km² in the investigated region. We therefore suggest that extreme accumulations caused by gravitational snow transport play a significant role in the glacier mass balance of small to medium‐size glaciers and that they may be successfully parameterized by simple mass redistribution algorithms, which have been presented in the literature.     

近40a阿尔金山冰川与气候变化关系研究

以Landsat MSS/TM/ETM⁺/OLI 遥感影像和数字高程模型为数据源,在遥感和地理信息技术支持下,分析了阿尔金山地区1973、1999、2010、2015 四期冰川变化特征。研究表明：（1）1973-2015 年,冰川总面积共退缩了58.78 km²,年均退缩率为0.40%·a^-1,东段退缩速率最快,其次是西段,中段最慢,且冰川退缩速率呈现出先变快后变慢的变化趋势。（2）各个坡向都出现不同程度的退缩,偏南坡比偏北坡冰川退缩严重。（3）冰川面积退缩速率与规模等级呈现反相关关系,小规模冰川退缩速率快。（4）冰川分布随海拔变化呈正态分布,海拔越低退缩速率越快。统计分析气象数据表明,气候变暖是冰川退缩的主要原因,同时地形与冰川规模也影响冰川变化。     

Debris-covered Glaciers and Rock Glaciers in the Nanga Parbat Himalaya, Pakistan

The origin and mobilization of the extensive debris cover associated with the glaciers of the Nanga Parbat Himalaya is complex. In this paper we propose a mechanism by which glaciers can form rock glaciers through inefficiency of sediment transfer from glacier ice to meltwater. Inefficient transfer is caused by various processes that promote plentiful sediment supply and decrease sediment transfer potential. Most debris‐covered glaciers on Nanga Parbat with higher velocities of movement and/ or efficient debris transfer mechanisms do not form rock glaciers, perhaps because debris is mobilized quickly and removed from such glacier systems. Those whose ice movement activity is lower and those where inefficient sediment transfer mechanisms allow plentiful debris to accumulate, can form classic rock glaciers. We document here with maps, satellite images, and field observations the probable evolution of part of a slow and inefficient ice glacier into a rock glacier at the margins of Sachen Glacier in c. 50 years, as well as several other examples that formed in a longer period of time. Sachen Glacier receives all of its nourishment from ice and snow avalanches from surrounding areas of high relief, but has low ice velocities and no efficient system of debris removal. Consequently it has a pronounced digitate terminus with four lobes that have moved outward from the lateral moraines as rock glaciers with prounced transverse ridges and furrows and steep fronts at the angle of repose. Raikot Glacier has a velocity five times higher than Sachen Glacier and a thick cover of rock debris at its terminus that is efficienctly removed. During the advance stage of the glacier since 1994, ice cliffs were exposed at the terminus, and an outbreak flood swept away much debris from its margins and terminus. Like the Sachen Glacier that it resembles, Shaigiri Glacier receives all its nourishment from ice and snow avalanches and has an extensive debris cover with steep margins close to the angle of repose. It has a high velocity similar to Raikot Glacier and catastrophic breakout floods have removed debris from its terminus twice in the recent past. In addition, the Shaigiri terminus blocked the Rupal River during the Little Ice Age and is presently being undercut and steepened by the river. With higher velocities and more efficient sediment transfer systems, neither the Raikot nor the Shaigiri form classic rock‐glacier morphologies.     

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。     

HOLOCENE ROCKWALL RETREAT AND THE ESTIMATION OF ROCK GLACIER AGE, PRINS KARLS FORLAND, SVALBARD

This paper presents a simple analytical model for estimating rock glacier age by coupling the ratio of frontal advance to total rock glacier length and the ratio of debris volume in the rock glacier to present debris flux in the talus cone–rock glacier transition zone. The model was applied to two rock glaciers at Prins Karls Forland, Svalbard. By assuming volumetric debris contents in the deforming layer of the rock glacier of between 0.3 and 0.4, we obtained age estimates for the rock glaciers of between 12 ka and 24 ka. The corresponding average rockwall retreat rates are between 0.30 and 0.62 mm a^‐1. Considering the limitations of the model, we suggest a minimum age of 13 ka for the initiation of rock glacier development. Using this age, rockwall retreat rates for the seven rock glaciers investigated at Prins Karls Forland are between 0.13 and 0.64 m ka^‐1 (assuming the volumetric debris content for the whole rock glacier/talus cone is 0.35). The model requires further testing on other datasets, better field estimates of the debris content and depth of the deforming layer, and could also benefit from the inclusion of an unsteady debris supply function in order to refine age estimates.     

Assessment of the Evolution in Velocity of Two Debris‐Covered Valley Glaciers in Nepal and New Zealand

Feature tracking of orthorectified pairs of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer satellite images is used to calculate velocities for the Tasman Glacier, New Zealand (2002–2014) and the Khumbu Glacier, Nepal (2001–2008). Velocities in the middle and upper ablation zones of both glaciers show a long‐term decrease of ～10–20%, while the terminus of Khumbu Glacier has remained near stagnation throughout the study period. In contrast, there has been a recent acceleration of the lower terminus of Tasman Glacier, from ～5 m a^–1 in 2002 to 40 m a^–1 in 2014. Both of these glaciers have an extensive supraglacial debris cover across their lower ablation regions, with the Khumbu Glacier terminating on land and the Tasman Glacier terminating in a proglacial lake. The rapid recent increase in velocity of the terminus of Tasman Glacier is closely correlated with the increase in size of its proglacial lake. These results indicate the complex dynamic changes that mountain valley glaciers may undergo in response to long‐term negative mass balance.