On the role of subsurface heat conduction in glacier energy-balance modelling
We discuss the inclusion of the subsurface heat-conduction flux into the calculation of the energy balance and ablation at the glacier–atmosphere interface. Data from automatic weather stations are used to force an energy-balance model at several locations on alpine glaciers and at one site in the d...
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Language: | English |
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International Glaciological Society
2009
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3189/172756409787769555 |
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fteawag:oai:dora:eawag_16300 2023-05-15T13:29:18+02:00 On the role of subsurface heat conduction in glacier energy-balance modelling Pellicciotti, Francesca Carenzo, Marco Helbing, Jakob Rimkus, Stefan Burlando, Paolo 2009 https://doi.org/10.3189/172756409787769555 eng eng International Glaciological Society Annals of Glaciology--Ann. Glaciol.--journals:150--0260-3055 eawag:16300 journal id: journals:150 issn: 0260-3055 ut: 000279990100004 scopus: 2-s2.0-64549156921 doi:10.3189/172756409787769555 Text Journal Article 2009 fteawag https://doi.org/10.3189/172756409787769555 2023-04-09T04:47:33Z We discuss the inclusion of the subsurface heat-conduction flux into the calculation of the energy balance and ablation at the glacier–atmosphere interface. Data from automatic weather stations are used to force an energy-balance model at several locations on alpine glaciers and at one site in the dry Andes of central Chile. The heat-conduction flux is computed using a two-layer scheme, assuming that 36% of the net shortwave radiation is absorbed by the surface layer and that the rest penetrates into the snowpack. We compare simulations conducted with and without subsurface heat flux. Results show that assuming a surface temperature of zero degrees leads to a larger overestimation of melt at the sites in the accumulation area (10.4–13.3%) than in the ablation area (0.5–2.8%), due to lower air temperatures and the presence of snow. The difference between simulations with and without heat conduction is also high at the beginning and end of the ablation season (up to 29% for the first 15 days of the season), when air temperatures are lower and snow covers the glacier surface, while they are of little importance during periods of sustained melt at all the locations investigated. Article in Journal/Newspaper Annals of Glaciology DORA Eawag Annals of Glaciology 50 50 16 24 |
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Open Polar |
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language |
English |
description |
We discuss the inclusion of the subsurface heat-conduction flux into the calculation of the energy balance and ablation at the glacier–atmosphere interface. Data from automatic weather stations are used to force an energy-balance model at several locations on alpine glaciers and at one site in the dry Andes of central Chile. The heat-conduction flux is computed using a two-layer scheme, assuming that 36% of the net shortwave radiation is absorbed by the surface layer and that the rest penetrates into the snowpack. We compare simulations conducted with and without subsurface heat flux. Results show that assuming a surface temperature of zero degrees leads to a larger overestimation of melt at the sites in the accumulation area (10.4–13.3%) than in the ablation area (0.5–2.8%), due to lower air temperatures and the presence of snow. The difference between simulations with and without heat conduction is also high at the beginning and end of the ablation season (up to 29% for the first 15 days of the season), when air temperatures are lower and snow covers the glacier surface, while they are of little importance during periods of sustained melt at all the locations investigated. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Pellicciotti, Francesca Carenzo, Marco Helbing, Jakob Rimkus, Stefan Burlando, Paolo |
spellingShingle |
Pellicciotti, Francesca Carenzo, Marco Helbing, Jakob Rimkus, Stefan Burlando, Paolo On the role of subsurface heat conduction in glacier energy-balance modelling |
author_facet |
Pellicciotti, Francesca Carenzo, Marco Helbing, Jakob Rimkus, Stefan Burlando, Paolo |
author_sort |
Pellicciotti, Francesca |
title |
On the role of subsurface heat conduction in glacier energy-balance modelling |
title_short |
On the role of subsurface heat conduction in glacier energy-balance modelling |
title_full |
On the role of subsurface heat conduction in glacier energy-balance modelling |
title_fullStr |
On the role of subsurface heat conduction in glacier energy-balance modelling |
title_full_unstemmed |
On the role of subsurface heat conduction in glacier energy-balance modelling |
title_sort |
on the role of subsurface heat conduction in glacier energy-balance modelling |
publisher |
International Glaciological Society |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3189/172756409787769555 |
genre |
Annals of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Annals of Glaciology |
op_relation |
Annals of Glaciology--Ann. Glaciol.--journals:150--0260-3055 eawag:16300 journal id: journals:150 issn: 0260-3055 ut: 000279990100004 scopus: 2-s2.0-64549156921 doi:10.3189/172756409787769555 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3189/172756409787769555 |
container_title |
Annals of Glaciology |
container_volume |
50 |
container_issue |
50 |
container_start_page |
16 |
op_container_end_page |
24 |
_version_ |
1765999847436976128 |