Assessment of mass-balance variations within a sparse stake network, qamanârssûp sermia, west greenland

Abstract Variations of area-averaged annual balance can be calculated from sparse stake networks, if the specific balances satisfy a simple version of the linear model proposed by Lliboutry. The linear model is tested with 4 years of data at 13 stakes on Qamanârssûp sermia, West Greenland, and is sa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Glaciology
Main Author: Braithwaite, Roger J.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1986
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000006869
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000006869
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Summary:Abstract Variations of area-averaged annual balance can be calculated from sparse stake networks, if the specific balances satisfy a simple version of the linear model proposed by Lliboutry. The linear model is tested with 4 years of data at 13 stakes on Qamanârssûp sermia, West Greenland, and is satisfied with a model error of ±0.34 m water equivalent. From analyses of data from three stakes a few metres apart, the random error in the measurement of annual balance is estimated to be greater than ±0.23 m water equivalent. The variation in balance for the 4 years is ±0.52 m water equivalent which reflects the year–to–year variation in climate. The shortness of the present data series is admitted and its continuation is recommended.