Glacier volume response time and its links to climate and topography based on a conceptual model of glacier hypsometry
Glacier volume response time is a measure of the time taken for a glacier to adjust its geometry to a climate change. It has been previously proposed that the volume response time is given approximately by the ratio of glacier thickness to ablation at the glacier terminus. We propose a new conceptua...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:188dd5e8038840f08123ed1fe17c0ab7 2023-05-15T15:34:45+02:00 Glacier volume response time and its links to climate and topography based on a conceptual model of glacier hypsometry S. C. B. Raper R. J. Braithwaite 2009-08-01T00:00:00Z https://doaj.org/article/188dd5e8038840f08123ed1fe17c0ab7 EN eng Copernicus Publications http://www.the-cryosphere.net/3/183/2009/tc-3-183-2009.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/188dd5e8038840f08123ed1fe17c0ab7 The Cryosphere, Vol 3, Iss 2, Pp 183-194 (2009) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2009 ftdoajarticles 2022-12-31T08:38:17Z Glacier volume response time is a measure of the time taken for a glacier to adjust its geometry to a climate change. It has been previously proposed that the volume response time is given approximately by the ratio of glacier thickness to ablation at the glacier terminus. We propose a new conceptual model of glacier hypsometry (area-altitude relation) and derive the volume response time where climatic and topographic parameters are separated. The former is expressed by mass balance gradients which we derive from glacier-climate modelling and the latter are quantified with data from the World Glacier Inventory. Aside from the well-known scaling relation between glacier volume and area, we establish a new scaling relation between glacier altitude range and area, and evaluate it for seven regions. The presence of this scaling parameter in our response time formula accounts for the mass balance elevation feedback and leads to longer response times than given by the simple ratio of glacier thickness to ablation at the terminus. Volume response times range from decades to thousands of years for glaciers in maritime (wet-warm) and continental (dry-cold) climates respectively. The combined effect of volume-area and altitude-area scaling relations is such that volume response time can increase with glacier area (Axel Heiberg Island and Svalbard), hardly change (Northern Scandinavia, Southern Norway and the Alps) or even get smaller (The Caucasus and New Zealand). Article in Journal/Newspaper Axel Heiberg Island glacier glacier Svalbard The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Axel Heiberg Island ENVELOPE(-91.001,-91.001,79.752,79.752) Heiberg ENVELOPE(13.964,13.964,66.424,66.424) New Zealand Norway Svalbard |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 S. C. B. Raper R. J. Braithwaite Glacier volume response time and its links to climate and topography based on a conceptual model of glacier hypsometry |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Glacier volume response time is a measure of the time taken for a glacier to adjust its geometry to a climate change. It has been previously proposed that the volume response time is given approximately by the ratio of glacier thickness to ablation at the glacier terminus. We propose a new conceptual model of glacier hypsometry (area-altitude relation) and derive the volume response time where climatic and topographic parameters are separated. The former is expressed by mass balance gradients which we derive from glacier-climate modelling and the latter are quantified with data from the World Glacier Inventory. Aside from the well-known scaling relation between glacier volume and area, we establish a new scaling relation between glacier altitude range and area, and evaluate it for seven regions. The presence of this scaling parameter in our response time formula accounts for the mass balance elevation feedback and leads to longer response times than given by the simple ratio of glacier thickness to ablation at the terminus. Volume response times range from decades to thousands of years for glaciers in maritime (wet-warm) and continental (dry-cold) climates respectively. The combined effect of volume-area and altitude-area scaling relations is such that volume response time can increase with glacier area (Axel Heiberg Island and Svalbard), hardly change (Northern Scandinavia, Southern Norway and the Alps) or even get smaller (The Caucasus and New Zealand). |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
S. C. B. Raper R. J. Braithwaite |
author_facet |
S. C. B. Raper R. J. Braithwaite |
author_sort |
S. C. B. Raper |
title |
Glacier volume response time and its links to climate and topography based on a conceptual model of glacier hypsometry |
title_short |
Glacier volume response time and its links to climate and topography based on a conceptual model of glacier hypsometry |
title_full |
Glacier volume response time and its links to climate and topography based on a conceptual model of glacier hypsometry |
title_fullStr |
Glacier volume response time and its links to climate and topography based on a conceptual model of glacier hypsometry |
title_full_unstemmed |
Glacier volume response time and its links to climate and topography based on a conceptual model of glacier hypsometry |
title_sort |
glacier volume response time and its links to climate and topography based on a conceptual model of glacier hypsometry |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
https://doaj.org/article/188dd5e8038840f08123ed1fe17c0ab7 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-91.001,-91.001,79.752,79.752) ENVELOPE(13.964,13.964,66.424,66.424) |
geographic |
Axel Heiberg Island Heiberg New Zealand Norway Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Axel Heiberg Island Heiberg New Zealand Norway Svalbard |
genre |
Axel Heiberg Island glacier glacier Svalbard The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
Axel Heiberg Island glacier glacier Svalbard The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 3, Iss 2, Pp 183-194 (2009) |
op_relation |
http://www.the-cryosphere.net/3/183/2009/tc-3-183-2009.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/188dd5e8038840f08123ed1fe17c0ab7 |
_version_ |
1766365047071703040 |