Stagnation and mass loss on a Himalayan debris-covered glacier: processes, patterns and rates
The ablation areas of debris-covered glaciers typically consist of a complex mosaic of surface features with contrasting processes and rates of mass loss. This greatly complicates glacier response to climate change, and increases the uncertainty of predictive models. In this paper we present a serie...
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ftunivtasecite:oai:ecite.utas.edu.au:140807 2023-05-15T16:57:39+02:00 Stagnation and mass loss on a Himalayan debris-covered glacier: processes, patterns and rates Thompson, SS Benn, DI Mertes, J Luckman, A 2016 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.37 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/140807 en eng Int Glaciol Soc http://ecite.utas.edu.au/140807/1/140807 - Stagnation and mass loss on a Himalayan debris-covered glacier.pdf http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.37 Thompson, SS and Benn, DI and Mertes, J and Luckman, A, Stagnation and mass loss on a Himalayan debris-covered glacier: processes, patterns and rates, Journal of Glaciology, 62, (233) pp. 467-485. ISSN 0022-1430 (2016) [Refereed Article] http://ecite.utas.edu.au/140807 Earth Sciences Physical geography and environmental geoscience Glaciology Refereed Article PeerReviewed 2016 ftunivtasecite https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.37 2022-08-29T22:18:05Z The ablation areas of debris-covered glaciers typically consist of a complex mosaic of surface features with contrasting processes and rates of mass loss. This greatly complicates glacier response to climate change, and increases the uncertainty of predictive models. In this paper we present a series of high-resolution DEMs and repeat lake bathymetric surveys on Ngozumpa Glacier, Nepal, to study processes and patterns of mass loss on a Himalayan debris-covered glacier in unprecedented detail. Most mass loss occurs by melt below supraglacial debris, and melt and calving of ice cliffs (backwasting). Although ice cliffs cover only ~5% of the area of the lower tongue, they account for 40% of the ablation. The surface debris layer is subject to frequent re-distribution by slope processes, resulting in large spatial and temporal differences in debris-layer thickness, enhancing or inhibiting local ablation rates and encouraging continuous topographic inversion. A moraine-dammed lake on the lower glacier tongue (Spillway Lake) underwent a period of rapid expansion from 2001 to 2009, but later experienced a reduction of area and volume as a result of lake level lowering and sediment redistribution. Rapid lake growth will likely resume in the near future, and may eventually become up to 7 km long. Article in Journal/Newspaper Journal of Glaciology eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) Dammed Lake ENVELOPE(-68.258,-68.258,68.496,68.496) Rapid Lake ENVELOPE(177.619,177.619,52.064,52.064) Journal of Glaciology 62 233 467 485 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtasecite |
language |
English |
topic |
Earth Sciences Physical geography and environmental geoscience Glaciology |
spellingShingle |
Earth Sciences Physical geography and environmental geoscience Glaciology Thompson, SS Benn, DI Mertes, J Luckman, A Stagnation and mass loss on a Himalayan debris-covered glacier: processes, patterns and rates |
topic_facet |
Earth Sciences Physical geography and environmental geoscience Glaciology |
description |
The ablation areas of debris-covered glaciers typically consist of a complex mosaic of surface features with contrasting processes and rates of mass loss. This greatly complicates glacier response to climate change, and increases the uncertainty of predictive models. In this paper we present a series of high-resolution DEMs and repeat lake bathymetric surveys on Ngozumpa Glacier, Nepal, to study processes and patterns of mass loss on a Himalayan debris-covered glacier in unprecedented detail. Most mass loss occurs by melt below supraglacial debris, and melt and calving of ice cliffs (backwasting). Although ice cliffs cover only ~5% of the area of the lower tongue, they account for 40% of the ablation. The surface debris layer is subject to frequent re-distribution by slope processes, resulting in large spatial and temporal differences in debris-layer thickness, enhancing or inhibiting local ablation rates and encouraging continuous topographic inversion. A moraine-dammed lake on the lower glacier tongue (Spillway Lake) underwent a period of rapid expansion from 2001 to 2009, but later experienced a reduction of area and volume as a result of lake level lowering and sediment redistribution. Rapid lake growth will likely resume in the near future, and may eventually become up to 7 km long. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Thompson, SS Benn, DI Mertes, J Luckman, A |
author_facet |
Thompson, SS Benn, DI Mertes, J Luckman, A |
author_sort |
Thompson, SS |
title |
Stagnation and mass loss on a Himalayan debris-covered glacier: processes, patterns and rates |
title_short |
Stagnation and mass loss on a Himalayan debris-covered glacier: processes, patterns and rates |
title_full |
Stagnation and mass loss on a Himalayan debris-covered glacier: processes, patterns and rates |
title_fullStr |
Stagnation and mass loss on a Himalayan debris-covered glacier: processes, patterns and rates |
title_full_unstemmed |
Stagnation and mass loss on a Himalayan debris-covered glacier: processes, patterns and rates |
title_sort |
stagnation and mass loss on a himalayan debris-covered glacier: processes, patterns and rates |
publisher |
Int Glaciol Soc |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.37 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/140807 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-68.258,-68.258,68.496,68.496) ENVELOPE(177.619,177.619,52.064,52.064) |
geographic |
Dammed Lake Rapid Lake |
geographic_facet |
Dammed Lake Rapid Lake |
genre |
Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Journal of Glaciology |
op_relation |
http://ecite.utas.edu.au/140807/1/140807 - Stagnation and mass loss on a Himalayan debris-covered glacier.pdf http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.37 Thompson, SS and Benn, DI and Mertes, J and Luckman, A, Stagnation and mass loss on a Himalayan debris-covered glacier: processes, patterns and rates, Journal of Glaciology, 62, (233) pp. 467-485. ISSN 0022-1430 (2016) [Refereed Article] http://ecite.utas.edu.au/140807 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.37 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
62 |
container_issue |
233 |
container_start_page |
467 |
op_container_end_page |
485 |
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1766049215218188288 |