Climate sensitivity of glaciers in southern Norway: application of an energy-balance model to Nigardsbreen, Hellstugubreen and Alfotbreen

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Author: Oerlemans, J.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1992
• Subjects: Earth-Surface Processes; glacier; Journal of Glaciology
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000003634; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000003634

Abstract Three glaciers in southern Norway, with very different mass-balance characteristics, are studied with an energy-balance model of the ice/snow surface. The model simulates the observed mass-balance profiles in a satisfactory way, and can thus be used with some confidence in a study of climate sensitivity. Calculated changes in equilibrium-line altitude for a 1 K temperature increase are 110, 108 and 135 m for Nigardsbreen, Hellstugubreen and Alfotbreen, respectively. The corresponding changes in mass balance, averaged over the entire glacier area, are −0.88, −0.715 and −1.11 m year −1 (water equivalent). Runs with an ice-flow model for Nigardsbreen, to which calculated mass-balance profiles arc imposed, predict that the front will advance by 3 km for a 1 K cooling, and will retreat by as much as 6.5 km for a 1 K warming. The response to a 10% increase in precipitation would be a 2 km advance of the snout, whereas a 4 km retreat is predicted for a 10% decrease. This large sensitivity (as compared to many other glaciers) is to a large extent due to the geometry of Nigardsbreen.