Analyzing ice dynamics using Sentinel-1 data at the Solheimajoküll Glacier,Iceland

ABSTRACT

The climate in southern Iceland has warmed over the last 70 years, resulting in accelerated glacier dynamics at the Solheimajoküll glacier. In this study, we compare glacier terminus locations from 1973 to 2018, to changes in climate across the study area, and we derive ice-surface velocities (2015–2018) from satellite remote-sensing imagery (Sentinel-1) using the offset-tracking method. There have been two regional temperature trends in the study period: cooling (1973–1979) and warming (1980–2018). Our results indicate a time lag of about 20 years between the onset of glacier retreat (?53 m/year since 2000) and the inception of the warming period. Seasonally, the velocity time series suggest acceleration during the summer melt season since 2016, whereas glacier velocities during accumulation months were constant. The highest velocities were observed at high elevations where the ice-surface slope is the steepest. We tested several scenarios to assess the hydrological time response to glacier accelerations, with the highest correlations being found between one and 30 days after the velocity estimates. Monthly correlation analyses indicated inter-annual and intra-annual variability in the glacier dynamics. Additionally, we investigate the linkage between glacier velocities and meltwater outflow parameters as they provide useful information about internal processes in the glacier. Velocity estimates positively correlate with water level and negatively correlate with water conductivity between April and August. There is also a disruption in the correlation trend between water conductivity and ice velocity in June, potentially due to a seasonal release of geothermal water.     

中国冰川径流的评估及其未来50 a变化趋势预测

基于中国冰川编目资料,应用冰川系统对气候变化响应的功能模型,按照几种不同升温率的气候背景,对全国各大流域冰川径流进行了评估,并对未来50 a冰川径流的变化趋势进行了预测.结果表明:1980年全国冰川总径流量615.7×108m3,在升温0.02 K.a-1及0.03 K.a-1情景下,2000年比1980年增大7.13%~10.8%,径流总量增至659.66×108m3~682.24×108m3;与此同时,冰川面积减少1.07%~1.62%,冰储量也减少1.14%~1.73%.2000—2030年全国冰川径流都将逐步增长,在2030年左右均达到了最高峰,径流增率ΔW/W0分别为9.6%及15.0%,总径流量分别为675.15×108m3,和707.91×108m3.2030年以后,全国冰川径流均开始从高峰缓慢回落,但直到2050年分别比初始径流量多8.6%及13.6%.因此,在2050年以前,特别是2030年前后是在上述气候情景下充分利用冰川融水的最好时机,但也是冰川洪水等灾害的多发期.就各流域来说,敏感型区径流高峰出现时间早而径流增率小,稳定型区则反之.如果出现极端的持续升温,如升温率为0.05 K.a-1,全国冰川径流增率可达26.5%,到21世纪末回落到1980年水平以下,而冰川储量损失达57%,届时中国西部生态环境将急剧恶化.     

塔里木河流域冰川洪水对气候变暖的响应

In past 50 years, the air temperature fluctuation was raising trend in Tarim River Basin. The annual mean temperature has increased by 0.3℃ in the whole Tarim River Basin, and by 0.6℃ in the mountain areas. With global warming, the frequency of unstable and extreme climatic events increased, glaciers retreating accelerated and snow meltwater increased have resulted in the more frequency of snow-ice disasters such as glacier debrisflow and glacier flash flood etc. Since 1980s, in the process of intense climate warming, glaciers melting intensified, ice temperature rose and glaciers flows accelerated, and lead to more glacial lakes and extending water storage capacity and stronger glacial lake outburst floods occurrence. It is proposed that the monitoring and evaluating of the impact of climate change on water resources and floods should be enhanced.     

基于地理信息系统的太阳直接辐射与冰川物质平衡的关系

基于冰川微地形对冰川物质平衡重要影响的认识,在考虑朝向、坡度、地形遮蔽等因素的条件下,以地理信息系统为手段,对乌鲁木齐河源１号冰川冰面太阳可能直接辐射进行了理论计算．在此基础上,建立了计算冰面任意一点物质平衡的Ｂ＝ｆ（Ｔ,Ｒ）（气温－辐射）模型．比较了该模型与Ｂ＝ｆ（Ｔ）（气温）模型、Ｂ＝ｆ（Ｐ,Ｔ）（降水－气温）模型及Ｂ＝ｆ（Ｑ）（能量平衡）模型之间的优缺点,表明该模型具有物理意义明确、计算精度较高、参数易于获得等优点,从而为计算冰川物质平衡提供了新的途径．     

Glacier mass balance of tropical Zongo glacier, Bolivia, comparing hydrological and glaciological methods

A glaciological program has been undertaken since 1991 on Zongo glacier in Bolivia (6000–4850 m asl, 2.4 km², 16°S). This program involves mass balance measurements, hydrological studies and energy balance investigations. On outer-tropical glaciers, melting and snow accumulation are both maximum in the wet season (austral summer), whereas the dry season (winter) is a period of low ablation. Errors on each term of the glaciological (stakes, snow-pits and integration method of the measurements) and hydrological (precipitation, discharge and runoff coefficient of free ice areas) methods are investigated to estimate the overall accuracy of the mass balance measurements. The hydrological budget is less than the glaciological one (mean difference: 60 cm w.e. per year), but both methods reproduce similar inter-annual variations. Errors in assessment of evaporation or water storage inside the glacier cannot explain the discrepancy. Errors using the glaciological method are large (around ± 40 cm w.e. per year), but no bias can explain the departure from the hydrological balance. Errors on discharge measurements are small and the uncertainty on the runoff coefficient has a minor effect on the mass balance. We concluded that hydrological budgets are too low due to the catch deficiency of rain gauges and absence of precipitation measurements at high altitudes, emphasizing the difficulty to assess snowfall distribution in high mountainous basins.     

Glacier inventory of the Gran Campo Nevado Ice Cap in the Southern Andes and glacier changes observed during recent decades

The Gran Campo Nevado (GCN) forms an isolated ice cap on the Península Muñoz Gamero (PMG) located 200 km to the south of the Southern Patagonia Icefield (SPI). We present a glacier inventory of the GCN made up by 27 drainage basins (in total 199.5 km²) and other small cirque and valley glaciers of the southern part of PMG (in total 53 km²). The glacier inventory is based on a digital elevation model (DEM) and ortho-photos. Contour lines from maps, relief information derived from Landsat TM satellite imagery from 1986 and 2002 and stereoscopic data from aerial photos were combined in a knowledge-based scheme to obtain a DEM of the area. A digital ortho-photo map based on aerial photos from 1998 and several ortho-photos based on aerial photos from 1942 and 1984 could be produced from the initial DEM. A geographical information system (GIS) served to outline the extent of the present glaciation. All major glaciers of the GCN show a significant glacier retreat during the last 60 yr. Some of the outlet glaciers lost more than 20% of their total area during this period. Overall glacier retreat amounts to 2.8% of glacier length per decade and the glacier area loss is 2.4% per decade in the period from 1942 to 2002. We hypothesise that GCN glaciers may have reacted faster and more synchronously with the observed warming trend during recent decades when compared with the SPI.     

Modelling observed and future runoff from a glacierized tropical catchment (Cordillera Blanca, Perú)

Monthly runoff from the 34.3% glacierized tropical catchment of Llanganuco in the tropical Cordillera Blanca, Perú, is successfully simulated and compared with a measured 44 year time series. In the investigation area, the climate is characterized by all-year round homogenous temperature conditions and a strong variability in air humidity and moisture content of the atmosphere. Thus, contrary to the mid latitudes, the seasonal variation in glacier melt strongly depends on moisture-related variables, rather than on air temperature. The here presented ITGG-2.0-R model aims for these requirements. The lack of moisture-related input data other than precipitation demands for an intermediate calibration step. Net shortwave radiation, the emissivity of the atmosphere and a sublimation/melt ratio are related to precipitation amounts. Runoff is well simulated and correlates with the measured record with r² = 0.76. Seasonally obtained r² are only slightly smaller. On a long-term, the cumulative deviation is minor, and the mean annual cycle of runoff is reproduced rather well (r² = 0.99). Based on four different IPCC climate change scenarios, future runoff is simulated. All runoff scenarios are modelled for the respective steady-state glacier extent. This leads to a reduction in the glacier size and a decreased amount of glacier melt. On the other hand, direct runoff increases due to larger glacier free areas. Consequently, mean annual runoff remains almost unchanged, but the seasonality intensifies considerably with more runoff during the wet and less runoff during the dry season.     

Subglacial drainage system structure and morphology of Brewster Glacier,New Zealand

A global positioning system and ground penetrating radar surveys is used to produce digital elevation models of the surface and bed of Brewster Glacier. These are used to derive maps of subglacial hydraulic potential and drainage system structure using three different assumptions about the subglacial water pressure (P_w): (i) P_w = ice overburden; (ii) P_w = half ice overburden; (iii) P_w = atmospheric. Additionally, 16 dye‐tracing experiments at 12 locations were performed through a summer melt season. Dye return curve shape, together with calculations of transit velocity, dispersivity and storage, are used to infer the likely morphology of the subglacial drainage system. Taken together, the data indicate that the glacier is underlain by a channelised but hydraulically inefficient drainage system in the early summer in which water pressures are close to ice overburden. By mid‐summer, water pressures are closer to half‐ice overburden and the channelised drainage system is more hydraulically efficient. Surface streams that enter the glacier close to the location of major subglacial drainage pathways are routed quickly to the channels and then to the glacier snout. Streams that enter the glacier further away from the drainage pathways are routed slowly to the channels and then to the snout because they first flow through a distributed drainage system. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

新疆冰川近期变化及其对水资源的影响研究

新疆的冰川水资源居全国第一,在新疆水资源构成和河川径流调节方面占有重要地位。最近30多年来,随着气温升高,冰川出现了剧烈的消融退缩,冰川融水径流量普遍增加,并对气温的依赖性增强。文章基于最新冰川观测研究资料,阐述新疆冰川的近期变化,分析对水资源的影响。研究表明,所研究的1800条冰川,在过去26～44年间,总面积缩小了11.7％,平均每条冰川缩小0.243km2,末端退缩速率5.8m/a。冰川在不同区域的缩小比率为8.8％～34.2％,单条冰川的平均缩小量为0.092～0.415km²,末端平均后退量为 3.5～10.5m/a。由于新疆各流域中冰川的分布、变化特征,以及融水所占河川径流的比例不同,因此,未来气候变化对新疆各个区域水资源的影响程度和表现形式是不同的。分析表明,在塔里木河流域,冰川水资源具有举足轻重的作用,但是,一旦冰川消融殆尽,对该地区将产生灾难性影响,现今该区冰川消融正盛,估计在今后30～50年,只要保持升温,冰川融水量仍会维持。未来20～40年,天山北麓水系中,1km²左右的小冰川趋于消失,大于5km²冰川消融强烈,因此,以小冰川居多的河流受冰川变化的影响较大。东疆盆地水系中的冰川数量少,并处在加速消融状态,河川径流对冰川的依赖性强,冰川的变化已经对水资源量及年内分配产生影响,水资源已经处在不断恶化之中。对于伊犁河与额尔齐斯河流域,未来冰川变化对水资源的影响在数量上可能有限,但会大大削弱冰川融水径流的调节功能。而气候变化对积雪水资源的影响和可能造成的后果应该予以特别关注。     

青藏高原纳木错流域扎当冰川度日因子特征及其应用

根据青藏高原念青唐古拉峰北坡纳木错流域扎当冰川2007和2008年消融期的物质平衡和气象观测资料,计算了冰川冰和雪的度日因子值,分析了冰川度日因子的时空变化及影响因素.结果表明:扎当冰川雪的度日因子值为5.3mm·d-1·℃-1;不同海拔冰的度日因子在4.0～14.0mm·d-1·℃-1之间,平均为9.2mm·d-1·℃-1.扎当冰川冰的度日因子值随着海拔的升高有所下降,但季节变化规律不明显.利用度日模型对扎当冰川物质平衡进行了模拟,得到2006/2007年度和2007/2008年度该冰川的物质平衡值分别为-534mmw.e.和247mmw.e.,其中2007/2008年度的模拟值接近观测值.