Distributed Melt on a Debris-Covered Glacier: Field Observations and Melt Modeling on the Lirung Glacier in the Himalaya
| Autor: | Jakob F. Steiner, Philip D. A. Kraaijenbrink, Walter W. Immerzeel |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Frontiers in Earth Science, Vol 9 (2021) |
| Druh dokumentu: | article |
| ISSN: | 2296-6463 81694350 |
| DOI: | 10.3389/feart.2021.678375 |
| Popis: | Debris-covered glaciers, especially in high-mountain Asia, have received increased attention in recent years. So far, few field-based observations of distributed mass loss exist and both the properties of the debris layer as well as the atmospheric drivers of melt below debris remain poorly understood. Using multi-year observations of on-glacier atmospheric data, debris properties and spatial surface elevation changes from repeat flights with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), we quantify the necessary variables to compute melt for the Lirung Glacier in the Himalaya. By applying an energy balance model we reproduce observed mass loss during one monsoon season in 2013. We show that melt is especially sensitive to thermal conductivity and thickness of debris. Our observations show that previously used values in literature for the thermal conductivity through debris are valid but variability in space on a single glacier remains high. We also present a simple melt model, which is calibrated based on the results of energy balance model, that is only dependent on air temperature and debris thickness and is therefore applicable for larger scale studies. This simple melt model reproduces melt under thin debris ( |
| Databáze: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
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