Modification and testing of a one‐dimensional energy and mass balance model for supraglacial snowpacks

A one‐dimensional energy and mass balance snow model (SNTHERM) has been modified for use with supraglacial snowpacks and applied to a point on Haut Glacier d'Arolla, Switzerland. It has been adapted to incorporate the underlying glacier ice and a site‐specific, empirically derived albedo routine. Model performance was tested against continuous measurements of snow depth and meltwater outflow from the base of the snowpack, and intermittent measurements of surface albedo and snowpack density profiles collected during the 1993 and 2000 melt seasons. Snow and ice ablation was simulated accurately. The timing of the daily pattern of meltwater outflow was well reproduced, although magnitudes were generally underestimated, possibly indicating preferential flow into the snowpack lysimeter. The model was used to assess the quantity of meltwater stored temporally within the unsaturated snowpack and meltwater percolation rates, which were found to be in agreement with dye tracer experiments undertaken on this glacier. As with other energy balance studies on alpine valley glaciers, the energy available for melt was dominated by net radiation (64%), with a sizable contribution from sensible heat flux (36%) and with a negligible latent heat flux overall, although there was more complex temporal variation on diurnal timescales. A basic sensitivity analysis indicated that melt rates were most sensitive to radiation, air temperature and snowpack density, indicating the need to accurately extrapolate/interpolate these variables when developing a spatially distributed framework for this model. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Applicability of Landsat 8 data for characterizing glacier facies and supraglacial debris

The present work evaluates the applicability of operational land imager (OLI) and thermal infrared sensor (TIRS) on-board Landsat 8 satellite. We demonstrate an algorithm for automated mapping of glacier facies and supraglacial debris using data collected in blue, near infrared (NIR), short wave infrared (SWIR) and thermal infrared (TIR) bands. The reflectance properties in visible and NIR regions of OLI for various glacier facies are in contrast with those in SWIR region. Based on the premise that different surface types (snow, ice and debris) of a glacier should show distinct thermal regimes, the ‘at-satellite brightness temperature’ obtained using TIRS was used as a base layer for developing the algorithm. This base layer was enhanced and modified using contrasting reflectance properties of OLI bands. In addition to facies and debris cover characterization, another interesting outcome of this algorithm was extraction of crevasses on the glacier surface which were distinctly visible in output and classified images. The validity of this algorithm was checked using field data along a transect of the glacier acquired during the satellite pass over the study area. With slight scene-dependent threshold adjustments, this work can be replicated for mapping glacier facies and supraglacial debris in any alpine valley glacier.     

近期乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川成冰带及雪层剖面特征研究

天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川的成冰带20世纪60年代初,自下而上划分为4个成冰带;1988年,由于气候变暖,冰川上部的冷渗浸重结晶带消失,被渗浸带所取代.对近期1号冰川的成冰带进行了划分,并通过大量雪坑资料,研究论述了目前1号冰川雪层剖面的层位特征.研究发现,由于气候变暖,剖面特征和成冰带谱有由“冷”向“暖”的转化趋势.同时还发现,1号冰川东支顶部发生了强烈的消融现象,该处已由渗浸带转化为具有强烈消融特征的局部消融区.     

Digital photogrammetry for air-photo-based construction of a digital elevation model over snow-covered areas ‐ Blamannsisen,Norway

Digital elevation models (DEMs) have been constructed over snow-covered and glaciated areas from 11 air photos optimized during production using a semi-automatic contrast-adjusting method called dodging. Construction of the DEMs from the air photos was accomplished using IMAGINE OrthoMAX software. In general, the results of the DEM construction are promising. Analytical and visual comparisons of GPS field data and published maps with the constructed DEMs indicate a high degree of agreement, with an average difference better than 2.8 m for most of the area. Errors and spurious data cells appear to have been minimized throughout most of the DEMs. One height anomaly, an erroneous peak with a height of between c. 250 m and 1200 m above the actual elevation, persistently appeared in one of the DEMs, despite numerous attempts to address the issue. Enhancements during the air-photo scanning process, such as sharpening and applying a tone curve, have been found to have a beneficial effect in reducing such erroneous results.     

Quaternary glaciations in the Verkhoyansk Mountains, Northeast Siberia

Geomorphological mapping revealed five terminal moraines in the central Verkhoyansk Mountains. The youngest terminal moraine (I) was formed at least 50 ka ago according to new IRSL (infrared optically stimulated luminescence) dates. Older terminal moraines in the western foreland of the mountains are much more extensive in size. Although the smallest of these older moraines, moraine II, has not been dated, moraine III is 80 to 90 ka, moraine IV is 100 to 120 ka, and the outermost moraine V was deposited around 135 ka. This glaciation history is comparable to that of the Barents and Kara ice sheet and partly to that of the Polar Ural Mountains regarding the timing of the glaciations. However, no glaciation occurred during the global last glacial maximum (MIS 2). Based on cirque orientation and different glacier extent on the eastern and western flanks of the Verkhoyansk Mountains, local glaciations are mainly controlled by moisture transport from the west across the Eurasian continent. Thus glaciations in the Verkhoyansk Mountains not only express local climate changes but also are strongly influenced by the extent of the Eurasian ice sheets.     

Characteristics and Environmental Significance of pH and EC in Summer Rainfall and Shallow Firn Profile at Yulong Snow Mountain,Lijiang City,China

The seasonal and inter-annual variations of pH and EC(electrical conductivity) at Yu-long(玉龙) Snow Mountain,Lijiang(丽江) City,are sensitive to precipitation variations and are important indicators of the atmospheric environment.The pH of summer rainfall at Lijiang City ranges from 6.7 to 7.4,and alkaline mineral salts dominate the variations of rainfall acidity.pH values in theshallow firn profile at Baishui(白水) Glacier No.1 range from 5.6 to 6.3,and EC values from 2.4 to 7.3 μs/cm.The ranges are lower than ...     

贡嘎山海螺沟冰川物质平衡、水交换特征及其对径流的影响

在贡嗄山海螺沟冰川研究的基础上，提出计算该冰川物质平衡的两种方法，获得了较一致的结果，表明近10a来物质平衡平均为－470mm，与高亚洲边缘山脉的冰种同样处于强烈的衰退状态，该冰川有很高的物质平衡水平（2544mm)及水交换水平（3819mm)，液相比例高（1／3），较小的稳定性系数（0．20），具有典型的季风海洋型冰川的水交换特征，由于冰川退缩冰川径流增加，预计2020年将达到临界状态，在气候持续暖变湿情况下，预测临界状态将延至2050年左右，冰川面积及储量将大幅度减少小。     

东南极Lambert冰川流域路线考察

Ｌａｍｂｅｒｔ冰川是Ａｍｅｒｙ冰架的补给源，为东南极冰盖最大的一支冰流。近几年对该冰流源区的路线考察表明，该地区累速度相当低，大部分观测点你于１５０ｋｇ／（ｍ＾２．ａ）。考察区域表面年平均温度为－４５－－３０℃。表面２ｍ雪层的平均密度在４００ｋｇ／ｍ＾３左右变化，在１８３０－２７００ｍ海拔范围内的许多地点曾观测到深霜发育，表面运动速度基本上在２０ｍ／ａ以内。在低积累区，强烈的下降风和表面雪丘的发育     

Turbulence in a Katabatic Flow

Turbulence measurements performed in a stable boundary layer over the sloping ice surface of the Vatnajökull in Iceland are described. The boundary layer, in which katabatic forces are stronger than the large-scale forces, has a structure that closely resembles that of a stable boundary layer overlying a flat land surface, although there are some important differences. In order to compare the two situations the set-up of the instruments on an ice cap in Iceland was reproduced on a flat grass surface at Cabauw, the Netherlands. Wind speed and temperature gradients were calculated and combined with flux measurements made with a sonic anemometer in order to obtain the local stability functions _m and _h as a function of the local stability parameter z/L. Unlike the situation at Cabauw, where _m was linear as a function of z/L, in the katabatically forced boundary layer, the dependence of _m on stability was found to be non-linear and related to the height of the wind maximum. Thermal stratification and the depth of the stable boundary layer however seem to be rather similar under these two different forcing conditions.Furthermore, measurements on the ice were used to construct the energy balance. These showed good agreement between observed melt and components contributing to the energy balance: net radiation (supplying 55% of the energy), sensible heat flux (30%) and latent heat flux (15%).Local sources and sinks in the turbulent kinetic energy budget are summed and indicate a reasonable balance in near-neutral conditions but not in more stable situations. The standard deviation of the velocity fluctuations _u, _v, and _w, can be scaled satisfactorily with the local friction velocity u_* and the standard deviation of the temperature fluctuation with the local temperature scale _*.     

Responses to climatic changes since the Little Ice Age on Maladeta Glacier (Central Pyrenees)

The evolution of Maladeta Glacier (Maladeta massif, central Spanish Pyrenees) since the Little Ice Age maximum is analyzed in this work. The extent of the glacier was mapped into 10 stages using morainic deposits and graphic documents. Climatic data (temperature and precipitation) were reconstructed by using dendroclimatic techniques complemented by recent instrumental records. The results thus obtained confirm the control of the above mentioned climatic factors, particularly annual temperature and winter precipitation, in the evolution of Maladeta Glacier, which has receded from an extent of 152.3 ha in 1820–1830 to 54.5 ha in 2000, a 35.7% reduction in size. The rate of ice wastage has varied during that period, defining several phases of glacial stabilization (1820–1830 to 1857; 1914–1920 to 1934–1935; 1957 to 1981), moderated glacial depletion (1901–1904 to 1914–1920; 1934–1935 to 1957) and marked glacial depletion (1857 to 1901–1904; 1981 to 2000). The evolution of Maladeta Glacier is also in keeping with trends observed from other alpine Mediterranean glaciers, which have experienced a consistent rise in their equilibrium line altitudes during the 19th and 20th centuries as well as associated and prolonged periods of negative mass balance.