A Heat-Balance Study on Sørbreen, Jan Mayen

Abstract The techniques and results of a heat-balance programme on Sørbreen, Jan Mayen, are presented and discussed. Estimates of 24 hr. heat-transfer totals under frontal and non-frontal weather conditions are then made. Transfer is found to be higher during frontal conditions, due to an increase i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Glaciology
Main Author: Dibben, P. C.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1965
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000018852
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000018852
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Summary:Abstract The techniques and results of a heat-balance programme on Sørbreen, Jan Mayen, are presented and discussed. Estimates of 24 hr. heat-transfer totals under frontal and non-frontal weather conditions are then made. Transfer is found to be higher during frontal conditions, due to an increase in latent and to a lesser extent sensible heat transfer. Consideration of upper air temperatures and humidities suggests this higher transfer is experienced by the glacier as a whole. It is then proposed that summer rainfall totals will provide an index of frontal activity which may be used to indicate relative ablation from one summer to another. A statistical comparison of ablation measured on the glacier and rainfall recorded at the Jan Mayen meteorological station supports this suggestion.