Comparison of geodetic and glaciological mass budgets for White Glacier, Axel Heiberg Island, Canada

This study presents the first reanalysis of a long-term glacier mass-balance record in the Canadian Arctic. The reanalysis is accomplished through comparison of the 1960–2014 glaciological mass-balance record of White Glacier, Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut, with a geodetically derived mass change ove...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Thomson, Laura I, Zemp, Michael, Copland, Luke, Cogley, J Graham, Ecclestone, Miles A
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: International Glaciological Society 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/127491/
https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/127491/1/2016_Thomson_etal_JoG_2016.pdf
https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-127491
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.112
Description
Summary:This study presents the first reanalysis of a long-term glacier mass-balance record in the Canadian Arctic. The reanalysis is accomplished through comparison of the 1960–2014 glaciological mass-balance record of White Glacier, Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut, with a geodetically derived mass change over the same period. The corrections applied to homogenize the two datasets, including adjusting for changes in hypsometry over the period of record and the generic differences between methods, are discussed along with the associated systematic and random errors of the two forms of mass-balance measurement. Statistical comparison of the two datasets reveals that within the error margin there is no significant difference between the average annual glaciological balance (–213 ± 28 mm w.e. a−1) and geodetic balance (–178 ± 16 mm w.e. a−1) at White Glacier over the 54 year record. The validity of this result, and the assumptions made in implementing the glaciological method, are critically assessed.