Climatogenic north–south asymmetry of local glaciers in Spitsbergen and other parts of the Arctic
ABSTRACT. Although World Glacier Inventory (WGI) data for 241 local glaciers (>1 km 2 in area) in Svalbard show a mean aspect of 0148 � 248, their mid-altitudes are lowest for an aspect of 1098 � 468, which is inconsistent. Further data are generated here for the altitude, length and source aspec...
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.429.6110 http://www.igsoc.org/annals/51/55/a55a089.pdf |
| Summary: | ABSTRACT. Although World Glacier Inventory (WGI) data for 241 local glaciers (>1 km 2 in area) in Svalbard show a mean aspect of 0148 � 248, their mid-altitudes are lowest for an aspect of 1098 � 468, which is inconsistent. Further data are generated here for the altitude, length and source aspect of 205 local glaciers (0.3–6.0 km long) in the main area of local glaciation in Svalbard, Nordenskiöld Land. All four mountain blocks have mean glacier source aspects of 3568 to 0188; the overall mean is 0118 � 88. Mid-altitudes are lowest at 0428 � 218, predicted to be 53 m lower than on opposite aspects. Lowest altitudes are predicted at 0098 to 0308, averaging 157 m lower than on opposite aspects. These results show that local, land-terminating glaciers around 788 N are affected more by north–south radiation receipt contrasts than by wind effects, consistent with the trend found across most other Arctic regions. It is concluded that, although weaker than in mid-latitudes, contrasts due to slope climates are substantial even in Arctic glaciers. This is apparent only when small, steep glaciers are inventoried: WGI data are incomplete and users need to check the thresholds of coverage. |
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