Local- and Regional-Scale Forcing of Glacier Mass Balance Changes in the Swiss Alps

Glacier mass variations are climate indicators. Therefore, it is essential to examine both winter and summer mass balance variability over a long period of time to address climate-related ice mass fluctuations. In this study, we analyze glacier mass balance components and hypsometric characteristics...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Remote Sensing
Main Authors: Saeideh Gharehchahi, Thomas J. Ballinger, Jennifer L. R. Jensen, Anshuman Bhardwaj, Lydia Sam, Russell C. Weaver, David R. Butler
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021
Subjects:
glacier mass balance
climate change
regional atmospheric circulations
remote sensing
hypsometric index
hypsometric integral
Science
Q
Greenland
glacier
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13101949
https://doaj.org/article/6e6a3733a71d481686cdd39ac15a8d93
Description
Summary:Glacier mass variations are climate indicators. Therefore, it is essential to examine both winter and summer mass balance variability over a long period of time to address climate-related ice mass fluctuations. In this study, we analyze glacier mass balance components and hypsometric characteristics with respect to their interactions with local meteorological variables and remote large-scale atmospheric and oceanic patterns. The results show that all selected glaciers have lost their equilibrium condition in recent decades, with persistent negative annual mass balance trends and decreasing accumulation area ratios (AARs), accompanied by increasing air temperatures of ≥ +0.45 °C decade −1 . The controlling factor of annual mass balance is mainly attributed to summer mass losses, which are correlated with (warming) June to September air temperatures. In addition, the interannual variability of summer and winter mass balances is primarily associated to the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), Greenland Blocking Index (GBI), and East Atlantic (EA) teleconnections. Although climate parameters are playing a significant role in determining the glacier mass balance in the region, the observed correlations and mass balance trends are in agreement with the hypsometric distribution and morphology of the glaciers. The analysis of decadal frontal retreat using Landsat images from 1984 to 2014 also supports the findings of this research, highlighting the impact of lake formation at terminus areas on rapid glacier retreat and mass loss in the Swiss Alps.

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