Quantifying 20th Century Glacier Change in the Sierra Nevada, California
| Autor: | Hassan J. Basagic, Andrew G. Fountain |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2011 |
| Předmět: |
010506 paleontology
Global and Planetary Change geography geography.geographical_feature_category 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences Area change Magnitude (mathematics) Glacier Volume change 01 natural sciences Climatology High elevation Field mapping Physical geography Volume loss Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Geology 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Earth-Surface Processes |
| Zdroj: | Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research. 43:317-330 |
| ISSN: | 1938-4246 1523-0430 |
| Popis: | Numerous small alpine glaciers occupy the high elevation regions of the central and southern Sierra Nevada, California. An inventory based on 1∶24,000 topographic maps revealed 1719 glaciers and perennial snowfields for a total area of 39.15 ± 0.13 km2. The number of ‘true’ glaciers, versus non-moving ice, is estimated to be 122 covering 14.89 ± 0.08 km2 or 38% of the ice-covered area. Historic photographs, geologic evidence, and field mapping were used to determine the magnitude of area change over the past century at 14 glaciers. The area change between 1903 and 2004 ranged from −31% to −78%, averaging −55%. Based on these values rough estimates of volume change suggest an ice volume loss from 1903 (1.09 km3) to 2004 (0.43 km3) of 0.66 km3 (0.59 km3 water). Rapid retreat occurred over the first half of the 20th century beginning in the 1920s and continued through the 1960s after which recession ceased by the early 1980s and some glaciers advanced. Since the late 1980s glaciers resumed retreat w... |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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