The equilibrium flow and mass balance of the Taku Glacier, Alaska 1950?2006
International audience The Taku Glacier, Alaska has advanced 7.5 km since the late nineteenth century, while all other primary outlet glaciers of the Juneau Icefield are in retreat. The Juneau Icefield Research Program has completed field work on the Taku Glacier annually since 1946. The collected o...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
---|---|
Other Authors: | , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
HAL CCSD
2008
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://hal.science/hal-00298541 https://hal.science/hal-00298541/document https://hal.science/hal-00298541/file/tcd-2-275-2008.pdf |
id |
ftinsu:oai:HAL:hal-00298541v1 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftinsu:oai:HAL:hal-00298541v1 2023-11-12T04:17:23+01:00 The equilibrium flow and mass balance of the Taku Glacier, Alaska 1950?2006 Pelto, M. S. Mcgee, S. R. Adema, G. W. Beedle, M. J. Miller, M. M. Sprenke, K. F. Lang, M. Nichols College Dudley Glaciological and Arctic Sciences Institute Denali National Park and Preserve P.O. Box 9 Geography Program University of Northern British Columbia Prince George (UNBC) Institute of Geodesy Universität der Bundeswehr München Neubiberg 2008-05-05 https://hal.science/hal-00298541 https://hal.science/hal-00298541/document https://hal.science/hal-00298541/file/tcd-2-275-2008.pdf en eng HAL CCSD Copernicus hal-00298541 https://hal.science/hal-00298541 https://hal.science/hal-00298541/document https://hal.science/hal-00298541/file/tcd-2-275-2008.pdf info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess ISSN: 1994-0432 EISSN: 1994-0440 The Cryosphere Discussions https://hal.science/hal-00298541 The Cryosphere Discussions, 2008, 2 (3), pp.275-298 [SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces environment [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean Atmosphere [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2008 ftinsu 2023-10-25T16:27:55Z International audience The Taku Glacier, Alaska has advanced 7.5 km since the late nineteenth century, while all other primary outlet glaciers of the Juneau Icefield are in retreat. The Juneau Icefield Research Program has completed field work on the Taku Glacier annually since 1946. The collected observations of surface mass balance, glacier velocity and glacier thickness at Profile IV 29 km above the terminus and 4 km above the equilibrium line provide a means to assess the equilibrium nature of the Taku Glacier. Velocity measured over a twelve month span and annual summer velocity measurements completed at a Profile IV from 1950?2006 indicate insignificant variations in velocity seasonally or from year to year. The consistency of velocity over the 56-year period indicates that in the vicinity of the equilibrium line, the flow of the Taku Glacier has been in an equilibrium state. Surface mass balance was positive from 1946?1988 averaging +0.42 m a ?1 . This led to glacier thickening. From 1988?2006 an important change has occurred and annual balance has been ?0.14 m a ?1 , and the glacier thickness has ceased increasing along Profile IV. Field measurements of ice depth and surface velocity allow calculation of the volume flux at Profile IV. Volume flux is then compared with the surface balance flux from the region of the glacier above Profile IV, determined annually in the field. Above Profile IV the observed mean surface flux is 5.50×10 8 m 3 /a (±5%), while the calculated volume flux range flowing through profile IV is 5.00?5.47×10 8 m 3 /a. The mean surface flux has been greater than the volume flux, which has led to slow thickening of the Taku Glacier up to 1988. The thickening has not led to a change in the flow of Taku Glacier at Profile IV. Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier glaciers The Cryosphere The Cryosphere Discussions Alaska Institut national des sciences de l'Univers: HAL-INSU Taku ENVELOPE(-133.854,-133.854,59.633,59.633) Juneau Icefield ENVELOPE(-134.254,-134.254,58.916,58.916) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Institut national des sciences de l'Univers: HAL-INSU |
op_collection_id |
ftinsu |
language |
English |
topic |
[SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces environment [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean Atmosphere [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences |
spellingShingle |
[SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces environment [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean Atmosphere [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences Pelto, M. S. Mcgee, S. R. Adema, G. W. Beedle, M. J. Miller, M. M. Sprenke, K. F. Lang, M. The equilibrium flow and mass balance of the Taku Glacier, Alaska 1950?2006 |
topic_facet |
[SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces environment [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean Atmosphere [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences |
description |
International audience The Taku Glacier, Alaska has advanced 7.5 km since the late nineteenth century, while all other primary outlet glaciers of the Juneau Icefield are in retreat. The Juneau Icefield Research Program has completed field work on the Taku Glacier annually since 1946. The collected observations of surface mass balance, glacier velocity and glacier thickness at Profile IV 29 km above the terminus and 4 km above the equilibrium line provide a means to assess the equilibrium nature of the Taku Glacier. Velocity measured over a twelve month span and annual summer velocity measurements completed at a Profile IV from 1950?2006 indicate insignificant variations in velocity seasonally or from year to year. The consistency of velocity over the 56-year period indicates that in the vicinity of the equilibrium line, the flow of the Taku Glacier has been in an equilibrium state. Surface mass balance was positive from 1946?1988 averaging +0.42 m a ?1 . This led to glacier thickening. From 1988?2006 an important change has occurred and annual balance has been ?0.14 m a ?1 , and the glacier thickness has ceased increasing along Profile IV. Field measurements of ice depth and surface velocity allow calculation of the volume flux at Profile IV. Volume flux is then compared with the surface balance flux from the region of the glacier above Profile IV, determined annually in the field. Above Profile IV the observed mean surface flux is 5.50×10 8 m 3 /a (±5%), while the calculated volume flux range flowing through profile IV is 5.00?5.47×10 8 m 3 /a. The mean surface flux has been greater than the volume flux, which has led to slow thickening of the Taku Glacier up to 1988. The thickening has not led to a change in the flow of Taku Glacier at Profile IV. |
author2 |
Nichols College Dudley Glaciological and Arctic Sciences Institute Denali National Park and Preserve P.O. Box 9 Geography Program University of Northern British Columbia Prince George (UNBC) Institute of Geodesy Universität der Bundeswehr München Neubiberg |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Pelto, M. S. Mcgee, S. R. Adema, G. W. Beedle, M. J. Miller, M. M. Sprenke, K. F. Lang, M. |
author_facet |
Pelto, M. S. Mcgee, S. R. Adema, G. W. Beedle, M. J. Miller, M. M. Sprenke, K. F. Lang, M. |
author_sort |
Pelto, M. S. |
title |
The equilibrium flow and mass balance of the Taku Glacier, Alaska 1950?2006 |
title_short |
The equilibrium flow and mass balance of the Taku Glacier, Alaska 1950?2006 |
title_full |
The equilibrium flow and mass balance of the Taku Glacier, Alaska 1950?2006 |
title_fullStr |
The equilibrium flow and mass balance of the Taku Glacier, Alaska 1950?2006 |
title_full_unstemmed |
The equilibrium flow and mass balance of the Taku Glacier, Alaska 1950?2006 |
title_sort |
equilibrium flow and mass balance of the taku glacier, alaska 1950?2006 |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://hal.science/hal-00298541 https://hal.science/hal-00298541/document https://hal.science/hal-00298541/file/tcd-2-275-2008.pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-133.854,-133.854,59.633,59.633) ENVELOPE(-134.254,-134.254,58.916,58.916) |
geographic |
Taku Juneau Icefield |
geographic_facet |
Taku Juneau Icefield |
genre |
glacier glaciers The Cryosphere The Cryosphere Discussions Alaska |
genre_facet |
glacier glaciers The Cryosphere The Cryosphere Discussions Alaska |
op_source |
ISSN: 1994-0432 EISSN: 1994-0440 The Cryosphere Discussions https://hal.science/hal-00298541 The Cryosphere Discussions, 2008, 2 (3), pp.275-298 |
op_relation |
hal-00298541 https://hal.science/hal-00298541 https://hal.science/hal-00298541/document https://hal.science/hal-00298541/file/tcd-2-275-2008.pdf |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
_version_ |
1782334302257676288 |