Classifying disequilibrium of small mountain glaciers from patterns of surface elevation change distributions
Abstract The overall trend of rapid retreat of Alpine glaciers contains considerable variability of responses at the scale of individual glaciers. As a step towards a regional assessment of glacier state that allows a detailed differentiation of single glaciers, we explore the potential of a self-or...
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/jog.2021.90 2024-03-03T08:46:05+00:00 Classifying disequilibrium of small mountain glaciers from patterns of surface elevation change distributions Hartl, Lea Helfricht, Kay Stocker-Waldhuber, Martin Seiser, Bernd Fischer, Andrea 2021 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.90 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143021000903 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Journal of Glaciology volume 68, issue 268, page 253-268 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 Earth-Surface Processes journal-article 2021 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.90 2024-02-08T08:39:53Z Abstract The overall trend of rapid retreat of Alpine glaciers contains considerable variability of responses at the scale of individual glaciers. As a step towards a regional assessment of glacier state that allows a detailed differentiation of single glaciers, we explore the potential of a self-organizing maps (SOM) algorithm to identify and cluster recurring patterns of thickness change at glaciers in western Austria. Using digital elevation models and glacier inventories for three time periods, we compute the frequency distribution of surface elevation change over the area of each glacier in the data set, for each period. The results of the SOM clustering show a distinct pattern shift over time: From 1969 to 1997, surface elevation change occurred at relatively uniform rates across a given glacier. Since 1997, the distribution of surface elevation change at individual glaciers has been far less uniform, indicating accelerated processes of disintegration. Tracking the evolution of individual glaciers throughout the time periods via the clusters highlights both the broader regional trend as well as glaciers that deviate from this trend, e.g. some very small, high elevation glaciers that have reverted to reduced and more uniform volume loss patterns. Article in Journal/Newspaper Journal of Glaciology Cambridge University Press Journal of Glaciology 1 16 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Earth-Surface Processes |
spellingShingle |
Earth-Surface Processes Hartl, Lea Helfricht, Kay Stocker-Waldhuber, Martin Seiser, Bernd Fischer, Andrea Classifying disequilibrium of small mountain glaciers from patterns of surface elevation change distributions |
topic_facet |
Earth-Surface Processes |
description |
Abstract The overall trend of rapid retreat of Alpine glaciers contains considerable variability of responses at the scale of individual glaciers. As a step towards a regional assessment of glacier state that allows a detailed differentiation of single glaciers, we explore the potential of a self-organizing maps (SOM) algorithm to identify and cluster recurring patterns of thickness change at glaciers in western Austria. Using digital elevation models and glacier inventories for three time periods, we compute the frequency distribution of surface elevation change over the area of each glacier in the data set, for each period. The results of the SOM clustering show a distinct pattern shift over time: From 1969 to 1997, surface elevation change occurred at relatively uniform rates across a given glacier. Since 1997, the distribution of surface elevation change at individual glaciers has been far less uniform, indicating accelerated processes of disintegration. Tracking the evolution of individual glaciers throughout the time periods via the clusters highlights both the broader regional trend as well as glaciers that deviate from this trend, e.g. some very small, high elevation glaciers that have reverted to reduced and more uniform volume loss patterns. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hartl, Lea Helfricht, Kay Stocker-Waldhuber, Martin Seiser, Bernd Fischer, Andrea |
author_facet |
Hartl, Lea Helfricht, Kay Stocker-Waldhuber, Martin Seiser, Bernd Fischer, Andrea |
author_sort |
Hartl, Lea |
title |
Classifying disequilibrium of small mountain glaciers from patterns of surface elevation change distributions |
title_short |
Classifying disequilibrium of small mountain glaciers from patterns of surface elevation change distributions |
title_full |
Classifying disequilibrium of small mountain glaciers from patterns of surface elevation change distributions |
title_fullStr |
Classifying disequilibrium of small mountain glaciers from patterns of surface elevation change distributions |
title_full_unstemmed |
Classifying disequilibrium of small mountain glaciers from patterns of surface elevation change distributions |
title_sort |
classifying disequilibrium of small mountain glaciers from patterns of surface elevation change distributions |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.90 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143021000903 |
genre |
Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Journal of Glaciology |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology volume 68, issue 268, page 253-268 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.90 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
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1 |
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16 |
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1792501964948373504 |