Impact of impurities and cryoconite on the optical properties of the Morteratsch Glacier (Swiss Alps)
The amount of reflected energy by snow and ice plays a fundamental role in their melting processes. Different non-ice materials (carbonaceous particles, mineral dust (MD), microorganisms, algae, etc.) can decrease the reflectance of snow and ice promoting the melt. The object of this paper is to ass...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:de9e7cdde0104f9ca94bbeb6cf058a49 2023-05-15T18:32:28+02:00 Impact of impurities and cryoconite on the optical properties of the Morteratsch Glacier (Swiss Alps) B. Di Mauro G. Baccolo R. Garzonio C. Giardino D. Massabò A. Piazzalunga M. Rossini R. Colombo 2017-11-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2393-2017 https://doaj.org/article/de9e7cdde0104f9ca94bbeb6cf058a49 EN eng Copernicus Publications https://www.the-cryosphere.net/11/2393/2017/tc-11-2393-2017.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-11-2393-2017 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/de9e7cdde0104f9ca94bbeb6cf058a49 The Cryosphere, Vol 11, Pp 2393-2409 (2017) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2017 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2393-2017 2022-12-31T14:04:05Z The amount of reflected energy by snow and ice plays a fundamental role in their melting processes. Different non-ice materials (carbonaceous particles, mineral dust (MD), microorganisms, algae, etc.) can decrease the reflectance of snow and ice promoting the melt. The object of this paper is to assess the capability of field and satellite (EO-1 Hyperion) hyperspectral data to characterize the impact of light-absorbing impurities (LAIs) on the surface reflectance of ice and snow of the Vadret da Morteratsch, a large valley glacier in the Swiss Alps. The spatial distribution of both narrow-band and broad-band indices derived from Hyperion was analyzed in relation to ice and snow impurities. In situ and laboratory reflectance spectra were acquired to characterize the optical properties of ice and cryoconite samples. The concentrations of elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC) and levoglucosan were also determined to characterize the impurities found in cryoconite. Multi-wavelength absorbance spectra were measured to compare the optical properties of cryoconite samples and local moraine sediments. In situ reflectance spectra showed that the presence of impurities reduced ice reflectance in visible wavelengths by 80–90 %. Satellite data also showed the outcropping of dust during the melting season in the upper parts of the glacier, revealing that seasonal input of atmospheric dust can decrease the reflectance also in the accumulation zone of the glacier. The presence of EC and OC in cryoconite samples suggests a relevant role of carbonaceous and organic material in the darkening of the ablation zone. This darkening effect is added to that caused by fine debris from lateral moraines, which is assumed to represent a large fraction of cryoconite. Possible input of anthropogenic activity cannot be excluded and further research is needed to assess the role of human activities in the darkening process of glaciers observed in recent years. Article in Journal/Newspaper The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Hyperion ENVELOPE(-68.917,-68.917,-72.033,-72.033) The Cryosphere 11 6 2393 2409 |
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 B. Di Mauro G. Baccolo R. Garzonio C. Giardino D. Massabò A. Piazzalunga M. Rossini R. Colombo Impact of impurities and cryoconite on the optical properties of the Morteratsch Glacier (Swiss Alps) |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
The amount of reflected energy by snow and ice plays a fundamental role in their melting processes. Different non-ice materials (carbonaceous particles, mineral dust (MD), microorganisms, algae, etc.) can decrease the reflectance of snow and ice promoting the melt. The object of this paper is to assess the capability of field and satellite (EO-1 Hyperion) hyperspectral data to characterize the impact of light-absorbing impurities (LAIs) on the surface reflectance of ice and snow of the Vadret da Morteratsch, a large valley glacier in the Swiss Alps. The spatial distribution of both narrow-band and broad-band indices derived from Hyperion was analyzed in relation to ice and snow impurities. In situ and laboratory reflectance spectra were acquired to characterize the optical properties of ice and cryoconite samples. The concentrations of elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC) and levoglucosan were also determined to characterize the impurities found in cryoconite. Multi-wavelength absorbance spectra were measured to compare the optical properties of cryoconite samples and local moraine sediments. In situ reflectance spectra showed that the presence of impurities reduced ice reflectance in visible wavelengths by 80–90 %. Satellite data also showed the outcropping of dust during the melting season in the upper parts of the glacier, revealing that seasonal input of atmospheric dust can decrease the reflectance also in the accumulation zone of the glacier. The presence of EC and OC in cryoconite samples suggests a relevant role of carbonaceous and organic material in the darkening of the ablation zone. This darkening effect is added to that caused by fine debris from lateral moraines, which is assumed to represent a large fraction of cryoconite. Possible input of anthropogenic activity cannot be excluded and further research is needed to assess the role of human activities in the darkening process of glaciers observed in recent years. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
B. Di Mauro G. Baccolo R. Garzonio C. Giardino D. Massabò A. Piazzalunga M. Rossini R. Colombo |
author_facet |
B. Di Mauro G. Baccolo R. Garzonio C. Giardino D. Massabò A. Piazzalunga M. Rossini R. Colombo |
author_sort |
B. Di Mauro |
title |
Impact of impurities and cryoconite on the optical properties of the Morteratsch Glacier (Swiss Alps) |
title_short |
Impact of impurities and cryoconite on the optical properties of the Morteratsch Glacier (Swiss Alps) |
title_full |
Impact of impurities and cryoconite on the optical properties of the Morteratsch Glacier (Swiss Alps) |
title_fullStr |
Impact of impurities and cryoconite on the optical properties of the Morteratsch Glacier (Swiss Alps) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Impact of impurities and cryoconite on the optical properties of the Morteratsch Glacier (Swiss Alps) |
title_sort |
impact of impurities and cryoconite on the optical properties of the morteratsch glacier (swiss alps) |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2393-2017 https://doaj.org/article/de9e7cdde0104f9ca94bbeb6cf058a49 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-68.917,-68.917,-72.033,-72.033) |
geographic |
Hyperion |
geographic_facet |
Hyperion |
genre |
The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 11, Pp 2393-2409 (2017) |
op_relation |
https://www.the-cryosphere.net/11/2393/2017/tc-11-2393-2017.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-11-2393-2017 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/de9e7cdde0104f9ca94bbeb6cf058a49 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2393-2017 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
2393 |
op_container_end_page |
2409 |
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1766216590316011520 |