Reconstruction of the annual balance of Vadret da Morteratsch, Switzerland, since 1865
| Autor: | Johannes Oerlemans, Oleg Rybak, Johanna Nemec, Philippe Huybrechts |
|---|---|
| Přispěvatelé: | Earth System Sciences, Physical Geography, Geography |
| Předmět: |
Hydrology
010506 paleontology geography geography.geographical_feature_category 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences Glaciology Glacier Albedo Mass balance Snow Atmospheric sciences 01 natural sciences Surface energy flux Balance (accounting) 13. Climate action Shading Precipitation Glaciers Geology 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Earth-Surface Processes |
| Zdroj: | Vrije Universiteit Brussel EPIC3Annals of Glaciology, 50, pp. 126-134 |
| Popis: | We have reconstructed the annual balance of Vadret da Morteratsch, Engadine, Switzerland, with a two-dimensional energy-balance model for the period 1865–2005. The model takes into account a parameterization of the surface energy fluxes, an albedo that decreases exponentially with snow depth as well as the shading effect of the surrounding mountains. The model was first calibrated with a 5 year record of annual balance measurements made at 20 different sites on the glacier between 2001 and 2006 using meteorological data from surrounding weather stations as input. To force the model for the period starting in 1865, we employed monthly temperature and precipitation records from nearby valley stations. The model reproduces the observed annual balance reasonably well, except for the lower part during the warmest years. Most crucial to the results is the altitudinal precipitation gradient, but this factor is hard to quantify from the limited precipitation data at high elevations. The simulation shows an almost continuous mass loss since 1865, with short interruptions around 1920, 1935 and 1980. A trend towards a more negative annual balance can be observed since the beginning of the 1980s. The simulated cumulative mass balance for the entire period 1865–2005 was found to be –46mw.e. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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