Calculating ice melt beneath a debris layer using meteorological data
Generalized numerical models of sub-debris ice ablation are preferable to empirical approaches for predicting runoff and glacier response to climate change, as empirical methods are site-specific and strongly dependent upon the conditions prevailing during the measurement period. We present a modifi...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2006
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/calculating-ice-melt-beneath-a-debris-layer-using-meteorological-data(425f4725-adcd-4455-9d58-a41e88f8b00f).html http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33845770373&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
| Summary: | Generalized numerical models of sub-debris ice ablation are preferable to empirical approaches for predicting runoff and glacier response to climate change, as empirical methods are site-specific and strongly dependent upon the conditions prevailing during the measurement period. We present a modified surface energy-balance model to calculate melt beneath a surface debris layer from daily mean meteorological variables. Despite numerous simplifications, the model performs well and modelled melt rates give a good match to observed melt rates, suggesting that this model can produce reliable estimates of ablation rate beneath debris layers several decimetres thick. This is a useful improvement on previous models which are inappropriate for thick debris cover. |
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