Rising ELA and expanding proglacial lakes indicate impending rapid retreat of Brady Glacier, Alaska
Abstract Brady Glacier is a large Alaskan tidewater glacier that is beginning a period of substantial retreat. Examination of 27 Landsat and MODIS images from the period 2003 to 2011 indicates that Brady Glacier has a mean equilibrium line altitude (ELA) of 745 m and accumulation area ratio (AAR) of...
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crwiley:10.1002/hyp.9913 2024-06-02T08:07:00+00:00 Rising ELA and expanding proglacial lakes indicate impending rapid retreat of Brady Glacier, Alaska Pelto, M. Capps, D. Clague, J. J. Pelto, B. 2013 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hyp.9913 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fhyp.9913 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/hyp.9913 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Hydrological Processes volume 27, issue 21, page 3075-3082 ISSN 0885-6087 1099-1085 journal-article 2013 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.9913 2024-05-03T11:12:42Z Abstract Brady Glacier is a large Alaskan tidewater glacier that is beginning a period of substantial retreat. Examination of 27 Landsat and MODIS images from the period 2003 to 2011 indicates that Brady Glacier has a mean equilibrium line altitude (ELA) of 745 m and accumulation area ratio (AAR) of 0.40. The zero balance ELA is 600 m and equilibrium AAR 0.65. The negative mass balance associated with the increased ELA has triggered thinning of 20–100 m over most of the glacier below the ELA from 1948 to 2010. The thinning has caused substantial retreat of seven calving distributary termini of the glacier. Thinning and retreat have led to an increase in the width of and water depth at the calving fronts. In contrast, the main terminus has undergone only minor retreat since 1948. In 2010, several small proglacial lakes were evident at the terminus. By 2000, a permanent outlet river issuing from Trick Lake had developed along the western glacier margin. Initial lake development at the terminus combined with continued mass losses will lead to expansion of the lakes at the main terminus and retreat by calving. The glacier bed is likely below sea level along the main axis of Brady Glacier to the glacier divide. Retreat of the main terminus in the lake will likely lead to a rapid calving retreat similar to Bear, Excelsior, Norris, Portage and Yakutat glaciers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier glaciers Tidewater Yakutat Alaska Wiley Online Library Ela ENVELOPE(9.642,9.642,63.170,63.170) Western Glacier ENVELOPE(-63.745,-63.745,58.887,58.887) Hydrological Processes 27 21 3075 3082 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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English |
description |
Abstract Brady Glacier is a large Alaskan tidewater glacier that is beginning a period of substantial retreat. Examination of 27 Landsat and MODIS images from the period 2003 to 2011 indicates that Brady Glacier has a mean equilibrium line altitude (ELA) of 745 m and accumulation area ratio (AAR) of 0.40. The zero balance ELA is 600 m and equilibrium AAR 0.65. The negative mass balance associated with the increased ELA has triggered thinning of 20–100 m over most of the glacier below the ELA from 1948 to 2010. The thinning has caused substantial retreat of seven calving distributary termini of the glacier. Thinning and retreat have led to an increase in the width of and water depth at the calving fronts. In contrast, the main terminus has undergone only minor retreat since 1948. In 2010, several small proglacial lakes were evident at the terminus. By 2000, a permanent outlet river issuing from Trick Lake had developed along the western glacier margin. Initial lake development at the terminus combined with continued mass losses will lead to expansion of the lakes at the main terminus and retreat by calving. The glacier bed is likely below sea level along the main axis of Brady Glacier to the glacier divide. Retreat of the main terminus in the lake will likely lead to a rapid calving retreat similar to Bear, Excelsior, Norris, Portage and Yakutat glaciers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Pelto, M. Capps, D. Clague, J. J. Pelto, B. |
spellingShingle |
Pelto, M. Capps, D. Clague, J. J. Pelto, B. Rising ELA and expanding proglacial lakes indicate impending rapid retreat of Brady Glacier, Alaska |
author_facet |
Pelto, M. Capps, D. Clague, J. J. Pelto, B. |
author_sort |
Pelto, M. |
title |
Rising ELA and expanding proglacial lakes indicate impending rapid retreat of Brady Glacier, Alaska |
title_short |
Rising ELA and expanding proglacial lakes indicate impending rapid retreat of Brady Glacier, Alaska |
title_full |
Rising ELA and expanding proglacial lakes indicate impending rapid retreat of Brady Glacier, Alaska |
title_fullStr |
Rising ELA and expanding proglacial lakes indicate impending rapid retreat of Brady Glacier, Alaska |
title_full_unstemmed |
Rising ELA and expanding proglacial lakes indicate impending rapid retreat of Brady Glacier, Alaska |
title_sort |
rising ela and expanding proglacial lakes indicate impending rapid retreat of brady glacier, alaska |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hyp.9913 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fhyp.9913 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/hyp.9913 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(9.642,9.642,63.170,63.170) ENVELOPE(-63.745,-63.745,58.887,58.887) |
geographic |
Ela Western Glacier |
geographic_facet |
Ela Western Glacier |
genre |
glacier glaciers Tidewater Yakutat Alaska |
genre_facet |
glacier glaciers Tidewater Yakutat Alaska |
op_source |
Hydrological Processes volume 27, issue 21, page 3075-3082 ISSN 0885-6087 1099-1085 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.9913 |
container_title |
Hydrological Processes |
container_volume |
27 |
container_issue |
21 |
container_start_page |
3075 |
op_container_end_page |
3082 |
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1800752021925527552 |