Moraine development at a small High‐Arctic valley glacier: Rieperbreen,Svalbard

Ice‐cored lateral and frontal moraine complexes, formed at the margin of the small, land‐based Rieperbreen glacier, central Svalbard, have been investigated through field observations and interpretations of aerial photographs (1936, 1961 and 1990). The main focus has been on the stratigraphical and dynamic development of these moraines as well as the disintegration processes. The glacier has been wasting down since the ‘Little Ice Age’ (LIA) maximum, and between 1936 and 1990 the glacier surface was lowered by 50–60 m and the front retreated by approximately 900 m. As the glacier wasted, three moraine ridges developed at the front, mainly as melting out of sediments from debris‐rich foliation and debris‐bands formed when the glacier was polythermal, probably during the LIA maximum. The disintegration of the moraines is dominated by wastage of buried ice, sediment gravity‐flows, meltwater activity and some frost weathering. A transverse glacier profile with a northward sloping surface has developed owing to the higher insolation along the south‐facing ice margin. This asymmetric geometry also strongly affects the supraglacial drainage pattern. Lateral moraines have formed along both sides of the glacier, although the insolation aspect of the glacier has resulted in the development of a moraine 60 m high along its northern margin. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling the advance–retreat cycle of a tidewater glacier with simple sediment dynamics

We present a simple coupled glacier-sediment model to simulate the evolution of a tidewater glacier. The model is based on a consideration of the total mass budget of a glacier, whereas ice mechanics are fully parameterized. The calving rate at the glacier terminus is assumed to be proportional to the water depth. We show that the formation of a morainic shoal has a profound influence on the response of a tidewater glacier to climatic forcing. For a slow periodic forcing of the equilibrium-line altitude, the model glacier advances steadily into the estuary, builds up a submarine terminal moraine, and then retreats rapidly when a critical point is hit. For a slowly increasing equilibrium-line altitude, at a rate as low as 1 m per 5 years, we find terminus retreat rates of up to 10 km in 50 years. Our model suggests that, although the response of tidewater glaciers to external forcing is strongly nonlinear, the onset of retreat is controlled by climate change.     

Estimation of snow ablation under a dust layer covering a wide range of albedo

Ablation processes of snow under a thin dust cover are complicated compared with those under a thick cover, mainly owing to the effects of aggregation (redistribution) of dust particles on the conditions of surface melting. Aggregation of dust particles causes the snow surface to brighten after the initial dust configuration, thus affecting the relationship between initial dust concentration and surface albedo. In order to estimate snow ablation rate under a thin dust cover, we used a composite energy balance model in which the surface albedo is taken as a measured input variable. The estimated results of snow ablation agreed reasonably well with the observation, considering the measurement errors inherited in the snow depressions. Comparison of the two cases, that is, one considering the aggregation of dust particles (observation: albedo variable) and the other without aggregation (assumption: albedo constant), showed that the ablation rates were noticeably lower on the former case. This suggests that the aggregation of dust particles induces a reduction of snow ablation. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimation of net accumulation rate at a Patagonian glacier by ice core analyses using snow algae

Snow algae in a 45.97-m-long ice core from the Tyndall Glacier (50°59′05″S, 73°31′12″W, 1756 m a.s.l.) in the Southern Patagonian Icefield were examined for potential use in ice core dating and estimation of the net accumulation rate. The core was subjected to visual stratigraphic observation and bulk density measurements in the field, and later to analyses of snow algal biomass, water isotopes (¹⁸O, D), and major dissolved ions. The ice core contained many algal cells that belonged to two species of snow algae growing in the snow near the surface: Chloromonas sp. and an unknown green algal species. Algal biomass and major dissolved ions (Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻) exhibited rapid decreases in the upper 3 m, probably owing to melt water elution and/or decomposition of algal cells. However, seasonal cycles were still found for the snow algal biomass, ¹⁸O, D-excess, and major ions, although the amplitudes of the cycles decreased with depth. Supposing that the layers with almost no snow algae were the winter layers without the melt water essential to algal growth, we estimated that the net accumulation rate at this location was 12.9 m a^− 1 from winter 1998 to winter 1999, and 5.1 m from the beginning of winter to December 1999. These estimates are similar to the values estimated from the peaks of ¹⁸O (17.8 m a^− 1 from summer 1998 to summer 1999 and 11.0 m from summer to December 1999) and those of D-excess (14.7 m a^− 1 from fall 1998 to fall 1999 and 8.6 m a^− 1 from fall to December 1999). These values are much higher than those obtained by past ice core studies in Patagonia, but are of the same order of magnitude as those predicted from various observations at ablation areas of Patagonian glaciers.     

2000—2020年兴都库什东部冰川区物质平衡变化及其影响因素

利用SRTM DEM和ASTER立体像对数据获取的DEM分析了2000—2020年兴都库什东部的冰川物质平衡,并结合CRU TS 4.04气象数据探讨了气温、降水、地形和冰湖对南、北冰川区物质平衡空间差异的影响。结果表明：2000—2020年兴都库什东部冰川区物质平衡为（-0.02±0.04） m w.e.·a^-1,冰川整体呈现微弱的负物质平衡状态。从坡向来看,南坡以正物质平衡冰川居多,北坡以负物质平衡冰川居多。从南、北两个子区域来看,北部冰川区物质平衡为（0.07±0.04） m w.e.·a^-1,南部冰川区物质平衡为（-0.32±0.04） m w.e.·a^-1。北部冰川面积规模大,所处海拔区间高,南部则相反。北部冰川区处于较高的海拔区间且冬季气温较低,导致夏季升温所产生的冰川消融的影响被削弱,冰川物质平衡的分布与降水分布在空间上具有一致性。南部冰川区出现的强烈物质亏损主要是由于夏季气温的急剧升高和冰川处于较低的海拔区间。南、北区域冰前湖和冰面湖面积不断扩大的空间差异性,也在一定程度上加剧了该地区冰川物质平衡的空间差异。     

青藏高原东南部海洋型冰川物质平衡研究进展北大核心CSCD

青藏东南部海洋型冰川具有独特的气候敏感性,普遍呈现加速退缩趋势,这不仅影响区域水资源安全,而且伴生了相应的冰川灾害,是当前青藏高原冰冻圈变化研究的热点区域之一。本文对海洋型冰川物质平衡时空变化特征进行了综述,2000年以来冰川总体处于物质亏损状态,其平均物质平衡介于-0.66~-0.61m w.e.·a^(-1)之间;同时总结了海洋型冰川物质加速变化的驱动因素以及新特征。当前海洋型冰川物质平衡变化研究受观测数据缺乏和模型模拟不确定性等问题限制,尤其现有模型对冰面裂隙增多与扩张、冰崖-冰面湖-表碛相互作用、冰内冰下过程、冰崩、末端冰湖水-冰相互作用等过程的描述过于简化或基本缺失,其机理及影响仍存在较大的不确定性。未来需加强海洋型冰川物质平衡的综合监测,基于多数据和多方法的集成研究提高模型对冰川物质平衡多物理过程的耦合与模拟能力,为开展海洋型冰川物质变化的区域水资源效应和致灾效应研究奠定基础。     

山地冰川演化与冰湖发育相互作用机制北大核心CSCD

冰川-冰湖耦合过程是冰冻圈物质与能量循环的重要组成部分,系统刻画冰川演化与冰湖发育过程的相互作用机制,对于完善冰冻圈科学理论体系和认知冰川作用区变化规律、水循环模式和灾害效应具有重要意义。本文立足山地冰川演化和冰湖发育过程,系统归纳了冰川-冰湖相互作用研究进展,剖析了冰川作用与冰湖发育耦合机制及相关模型的应用,并对现有冰川演化与冰湖发育过程耦合机制研究存在的不足与挑战进行解析和总结。冰川-冰湖耦合过程的深入研究有助于提高数值模拟的可信度与精度,为评估冰川-冰湖耦合过程影响、建立灾害监测预警体系和采取适应性措施提供数据与理论基础。     

中国第四纪冰川地质遗迹调查方法综述

第四纪冰川和冰川地质遗迹的研究,是研究第四纪全球气候变化的重要课题之一。中国第四纪冰川地质遗迹分布很广,类型多。最北的大兴安岭、南部的广西大明山、东部的长白山和台湾玉山、最西的喀喇昆仑山第四纪冰川地质遗迹均有分布,是世界上低纬度地区山岳冰川发育最广泛的国家。本文在前人研究的基础上,系统阐述我国第四纪冰川地质遗迹分布概况,结合开展的全国重要地质遗迹调查,以地质遗迹调查规范为基础,系统开展第四纪冰川地质遗迹调查方法研究。根据冰川在运动过程中对地面的侵蚀、冰碛物的搬运和堆积等不同的地质作用阶段,总结我国第四纪冰川地质遗迹调查方法体系,为开展同类地质遗迹调查提供方法指导依据。     

基于纹理特征的SAR影像各拉丹冬冰川信息提取

冰川面积是监测冰川变化信息的重要参数。本文以各拉丹东地区为例,根据冰川区域特有的纹理特征,选取时间间隔为35天的ENVISAT ASAR干涉对,利用灰度共生矩阵提取纹理特征,通过波段组合进行监督分类,进而提取研究区冰川面积。同时以Landsat TM光学影像为依据,评价利用纹理特征提取结果的精度。研究表明:基于纹理特征并利用SAR影像提取冰川面积的方法是可行的,为提取冰川信息提供了又一可靠手段。