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...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Text |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
JSU Digital Commons
2021
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/fac_res/69 https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1070&context=fac_res |
id |
ftjacksonvillesu:oai:digitalcommons.jsu.edu:fac_res-1070 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftjacksonvillesu:oai:digitalcommons.jsu.edu:fac_res-1070 2023-05-15T16:21:13+02:00 Local- and Regional-Scale Forcing of Glacier Mass Balance Changes in the Swiss Alps Gharehchahi, Saeideh Ballinger, Thomas J. Jensen, Jennifer L.R. Bhardwaj, Anshuman Sam, Lydia Weaver, Russell C. Butler, David R. 2021-05-17T07:00:00Z application/pdf https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/fac_res/69 https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1070&context=fac_res unknown JSU Digital Commons https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/fac_res/69 https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1070&context=fac_res Research, Publications & Creative Work glacier mass balance climate change regional atmospheric circulations remote sensing hypsometric index hypsometric integral frontal retreat rate swiss alps Geochemistry Geology text 2021 ftjacksonvillesu 2023-02-23T22:57:44Z 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. Text glacier Greenland JSU Digital Commons (Jacksonville State University) Greenland |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
JSU Digital Commons (Jacksonville State University) |
op_collection_id |
ftjacksonvillesu |
language |
unknown |
topic |
glacier mass balance climate change regional atmospheric circulations remote sensing hypsometric index hypsometric integral frontal retreat rate swiss alps Geochemistry Geology |
spellingShingle |
glacier mass balance climate change regional atmospheric circulations remote sensing hypsometric index hypsometric integral frontal retreat rate swiss alps Geochemistry Geology Gharehchahi, Saeideh Ballinger, Thomas J. Jensen, Jennifer L.R. Bhardwaj, Anshuman Sam, Lydia Weaver, Russell C. Butler, David R. Local- and Regional-Scale Forcing of Glacier Mass Balance Changes in the Swiss Alps |
topic_facet |
glacier mass balance climate change regional atmospheric circulations remote sensing hypsometric index hypsometric integral frontal retreat rate swiss alps Geochemistry Geology |
description |
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. |
format |
Text |
author |
Gharehchahi, Saeideh Ballinger, Thomas J. Jensen, Jennifer L.R. Bhardwaj, Anshuman Sam, Lydia Weaver, Russell C. Butler, David R. |
author_facet |
Gharehchahi, Saeideh Ballinger, Thomas J. Jensen, Jennifer L.R. Bhardwaj, Anshuman Sam, Lydia Weaver, Russell C. Butler, David R. |
author_sort |
Gharehchahi, Saeideh |
title |
Local- and Regional-Scale Forcing of Glacier Mass Balance Changes in the Swiss Alps |
title_short |
Local- and Regional-Scale Forcing of Glacier Mass Balance Changes in the Swiss Alps |
title_full |
Local- and Regional-Scale Forcing of Glacier Mass Balance Changes in the Swiss Alps |
title_fullStr |
Local- and Regional-Scale Forcing of Glacier Mass Balance Changes in the Swiss Alps |
title_full_unstemmed |
Local- and Regional-Scale Forcing of Glacier Mass Balance Changes in the Swiss Alps |
title_sort |
local- and regional-scale forcing of glacier mass balance changes in the swiss alps |
publisher |
JSU Digital Commons |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/fac_res/69 https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1070&context=fac_res |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
glacier Greenland |
genre_facet |
glacier Greenland |
op_source |
Research, Publications & Creative Work |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/fac_res/69 https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1070&context=fac_res |
_version_ |
1766009232925130752 |