Stable water isotope record from block profiles in the ice tunnel at Chli Titlis glacier, Switzerland ...

• Main Authors: Bohleber, Pascal, Hoffmann, Helene, Kerch, Johanna, Sold, Leo, Fischer, Andrea
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2018
• Subjects: ice core
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.885082; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.885082

Cold glaciers at the highest locations of the European Alps have been investigated by drilling ice cores to retrieve their stratigraphic climate records. Findings like the Oetztal ice man have demonstrated that small ice bodies at summit locations of comparatively lower altitudes may also contain old ice if locally frozen to the underlying bedrock. In this case, constraining the maximum age of their lowermost ice part may help to identify past periods with minimum ice extent in the Alps. However, with recent warming and consequent glacier mass loss, these sites may not preserve their unique climate information for much longer. Designed as a case study for investigating the maximum age of cold-based summit glaciers in the Alps, we utilized here an existing ice cave at Chli Titlis (3030 m), Central Switzerland. The cave offers direct access to the glacier stratigraphy without the logistical effort required in ice core drilling. In addition, a pionieering exploration had already demonstrated stagnant cold ice ... : Supplement to: Bohleber, Pascal; Hoffmann, Helene; Kerch, Johanna; Sold, Leo; Fischer, Andrea (2018): Investigating cold based summit glaciers through direct access to the glacier base: a case study constraining the maximum age of Chli Titlis glacier, Switzerland. The Cryosphere, 12(1), 401-412 ...