Summary: | A combination of field work, modeling, and remote sensing was used to determine mass balances for the Quelccaya Ice Cap in Peru and for parts of the Greenland Ice Sheet. A 40-year history of deglaciation on Quelccaya derived from satellite is presented. Automatic Weather Station and snow pit data throughout Greenland were utilized to determine a mass balance profile for the ice sheet which will serve as a baseline for future comparison. Finally, a series of models were tested in west-central Greenland for their ability to accurately simulate measured melt conditions given hourly observations of the surface meteorology. A new analytical melt model, SOSIM, was developed and tested for this study. Submitted Note: A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Geography in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Degree Awarded: Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2007. Date of Defense: Date of Defense: March 23, 2007. Keywords: Tropical Glaciers, Arctic, Polar, Remote Sensing, Mass Balance measurements, Peru, Quelccaya Ice Cap, Glacier Mass Balances, Greenland Ice Sheet Bibliography Note: Includes bibliographical references. Advisory committee: Jim Elsner, Professor Directing Dissertation; J. Anthony Stallins, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Henry Fuelberg, Outside Committee Member; Xiaojun Yang, Committee Member.
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