Slight mass loss revealed by reanalyzing glacier mass-balance observations on Glaciar Antisana 15 alpha (inner tropics) during the 1995-2012 period

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Authors: Basantes-Serrano, Rubén, Rabatel, Antoine, Francou, Bernard, Vincent, Christian, Maisincho, Luis, Cáceres, Bolívar, Galarraga, Remigio, Alvarez, Danilo
• Other Authors: Laboratoire d'étude des transferts en hydrologie et environnement (LTHE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble (OSUG ), Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes 2016-2019 (UGA 2016-2019 )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes 2016-2019 (UGA 2016-2019 ), Laboratoire de glaciologie et géophysique de l'environnement (LGGE), Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble (OSUG ), Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes 2016-2019 (UGA 2016-2019 )-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes 2016-2019 (UGA 2016-2019 )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), INAMHI (INAMHI), Ministerio de Minas y Energia, Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN), IGM
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2016
• Subjects: tropical glaciers; photogrammetry; accumulation processes; glacier mass balance; [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology; Ela; Journal of Glaciology
• Online Access: https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01387555; https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01387555/document; https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01387555/file/JOURNAL%20OF%20GLACIOLOGY%20-%20Slight%20mass%20loss%20revealed%20by%20reanalyzing%20glacier%20mass-balance%20observations%20on%20Glaciar%20Antisana%2015%20alpha%20%28inner%20tropics%29%20during%20the%201995-2012%20period.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.17

International audience In this paper, we reanalyze the glacier mass balance on Glaciar Antisana 15α over the 1995– 2012 period. Annual glacier mass balances were quantified on the basis of monthly glaciological measurements using an adaptation of Lliboutry's statistical approach. The geodetic mass balance was computed between 1997 and 2009 giving a cumulative balance of −1.39 ± 1.97 m w.e. and a slightly negative adjusted annual glaciological mass balance (−0.12 ± 0.16 m w.e. a −1). Despite a careful analysis of uncertainties, we found a large discrepancy between the cumulative glaciological and the geo-detic mass balances over the common period, of 4.66 m w.e. This discrepancy can mainly be explained by underestimated net accumulation in the glacier upper reaches, which could be due to the peculiar climate conditions of the equatorial zone with year round accumulation, thereby preventing clear identification of annual layers. An increase of ∼70% in measured rates of net accumulation would be needed to balance the glaciological and geodetic mass balances; a hypothesis confirmed by estimated ice flux in the vicinity of the ELA. Consequently, the vertical gradient of precipitation may be higher than previously estimated and the accumulation processes (including the role of frost deposition) need to be carefully analyzed.