Seasonally stable temperature gradients through supraglacial debris in the Everest region of Nepal, Central Himalaya
Rock debris covers about 30% of glacier ablation areas in the Central Himalaya and modifies the impact of atmospheric conditions on mass balance. The thermal properties of supraglacial debris are diurnally variable but remain poorly constrained for monsoon-influenced glaciers over the timescale of t...
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ftunivhertford:oai:uhra.herts.ac.uk:2299/23667 2023-05-15T16:57:37+02:00 Seasonally stable temperature gradients through supraglacial debris in the Everest region of Nepal, Central Himalaya Rowan, Ann V. Nicholson, Lindsey I. Quincey, Duncan J. Gibson, Morgan J. Irvine-Fynn, Tristram D.L. Watson, C. Scott Wagnon, Patrick Rounce, David R. Thompson, Sarah S. Porter, Philip R. Glasser, Neil F. Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Sciences Geography, Environment and Agriculture Water and Environment Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences School of Life and Medical Sciences Centre for Agriculture, Food and Environmental Management Research Centre for Climate Change Research Department of Psychology, Sport and Geography 2020-12-03 12 http://hdl.handle.net/2299/23667 eng eng Journal of Glaciology Rowan , A V , Nicholson , L I , Quincey , D J , Gibson , M J , Irvine-Fynn , T D L , Watson , C S , Wagnon , P , Rounce , D R , Thompson , S S , Porter , P R & Glasser , N F 2020 , ' Seasonally stable temperature gradients through supraglacial debris in the Everest region of Nepal, Central Himalaya ' , Journal of Glaciology , vol. TBC , no. TBC , JOG-20-0102.R1 , pp. 1-12 . https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2020.100 0022-1430 PURE: 22626034 PURE UUID: dc4f42fa-8c8b-4944-8c77-fa10d6a3f376 RIS: urn:7422004DA0EDBFAB7DA51763AA02076B http://hdl.handle.net/2299/23667 N/A 2020 ftunivhertford 2021-09-30T19:49:48Z Rock debris covers about 30% of glacier ablation areas in the Central Himalaya and modifies the impact of atmospheric conditions on mass balance. The thermal properties of supraglacial debris are diurnally variable but remain poorly constrained for monsoon-influenced glaciers over the timescale of the ablation season. We measured vertical debris profile temperatures at 12 sites on four glaciers in the Everest region with debris thickness ranging from 0.08–2.8 m. Typically, the length of the ice ablation season beneath supraglacial debris was 160 days (15 May to 22 October)—a month longer than the monsoon season. Debris temperature gradients were approximately linear (r2 > 0.83), measured as –40°C m–1 where debris was up to 0.1 m thick, –20°C m–1 for debris 0.1–0.5 m thick, and –4°C m–1 for debris greater than 0.5 m thick. Our results demonstrate that the influence of supraglacial debris on the temperature of the underlying ice surface, and therefore melt, is stable at a seasonal timescale and can be estimated from near-surface temperature. These results have the potential to greatly improve the representation of ablation in calculations of debris-covered glacier mass balance and projections of their response to climate change. Peer reviewed Other/Unknown Material Journal of Glaciology University of Hertfordshire: UH Research Archive |
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University of Hertfordshire: UH Research Archive |
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ftunivhertford |
language |
English |
topic |
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N/A Rowan, Ann V. Nicholson, Lindsey I. Quincey, Duncan J. Gibson, Morgan J. Irvine-Fynn, Tristram D.L. Watson, C. Scott Wagnon, Patrick Rounce, David R. Thompson, Sarah S. Porter, Philip R. Glasser, Neil F. Seasonally stable temperature gradients through supraglacial debris in the Everest region of Nepal, Central Himalaya |
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N/A |
description |
Rock debris covers about 30% of glacier ablation areas in the Central Himalaya and modifies the impact of atmospheric conditions on mass balance. The thermal properties of supraglacial debris are diurnally variable but remain poorly constrained for monsoon-influenced glaciers over the timescale of the ablation season. We measured vertical debris profile temperatures at 12 sites on four glaciers in the Everest region with debris thickness ranging from 0.08–2.8 m. Typically, the length of the ice ablation season beneath supraglacial debris was 160 days (15 May to 22 October)—a month longer than the monsoon season. Debris temperature gradients were approximately linear (r2 > 0.83), measured as –40°C m–1 where debris was up to 0.1 m thick, –20°C m–1 for debris 0.1–0.5 m thick, and –4°C m–1 for debris greater than 0.5 m thick. Our results demonstrate that the influence of supraglacial debris on the temperature of the underlying ice surface, and therefore melt, is stable at a seasonal timescale and can be estimated from near-surface temperature. These results have the potential to greatly improve the representation of ablation in calculations of debris-covered glacier mass balance and projections of their response to climate change. Peer reviewed |
author2 |
Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Sciences Geography, Environment and Agriculture Water and Environment Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences School of Life and Medical Sciences Centre for Agriculture, Food and Environmental Management Research Centre for Climate Change Research Department of Psychology, Sport and Geography |
author |
Rowan, Ann V. Nicholson, Lindsey I. Quincey, Duncan J. Gibson, Morgan J. Irvine-Fynn, Tristram D.L. Watson, C. Scott Wagnon, Patrick Rounce, David R. Thompson, Sarah S. Porter, Philip R. Glasser, Neil F. |
author_facet |
Rowan, Ann V. Nicholson, Lindsey I. Quincey, Duncan J. Gibson, Morgan J. Irvine-Fynn, Tristram D.L. Watson, C. Scott Wagnon, Patrick Rounce, David R. Thompson, Sarah S. Porter, Philip R. Glasser, Neil F. |
author_sort |
Rowan, Ann V. |
title |
Seasonally stable temperature gradients through supraglacial debris in the Everest region of Nepal, Central Himalaya |
title_short |
Seasonally stable temperature gradients through supraglacial debris in the Everest region of Nepal, Central Himalaya |
title_full |
Seasonally stable temperature gradients through supraglacial debris in the Everest region of Nepal, Central Himalaya |
title_fullStr |
Seasonally stable temperature gradients through supraglacial debris in the Everest region of Nepal, Central Himalaya |
title_full_unstemmed |
Seasonally stable temperature gradients through supraglacial debris in the Everest region of Nepal, Central Himalaya |
title_sort |
seasonally stable temperature gradients through supraglacial debris in the everest region of nepal, central himalaya |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/2299/23667 |
genre |
Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Journal of Glaciology |
op_relation |
Journal of Glaciology Rowan , A V , Nicholson , L I , Quincey , D J , Gibson , M J , Irvine-Fynn , T D L , Watson , C S , Wagnon , P , Rounce , D R , Thompson , S S , Porter , P R & Glasser , N F 2020 , ' Seasonally stable temperature gradients through supraglacial debris in the Everest region of Nepal, Central Himalaya ' , Journal of Glaciology , vol. TBC , no. TBC , JOG-20-0102.R1 , pp. 1-12 . https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2020.100 0022-1430 PURE: 22626034 PURE UUID: dc4f42fa-8c8b-4944-8c77-fa10d6a3f376 RIS: urn:7422004DA0EDBFAB7DA51763AA02076B http://hdl.handle.net/2299/23667 |
_version_ |
1766049181340794880 |