Mass-balance changes of the debris-covered glaciers in the Langtang Himal, Nepal, from 1974 to 1999
Thick debris cover on glaciers can significantly reduce ice melt. However, several studies have suggested that debris-covered glaciers in the Himalaya might have lost mass at a rate similar to debris-free glaciers. We reconstruct elevation and mass changes for the debris-covered glaciers of the uppe...
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2015
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ftunstandrewcris:oai:risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk:publications/1479e9c9-62d9-4a0a-ad38-c7985c64fae2 2023-05-15T16:57:37+02:00 Mass-balance changes of the debris-covered glaciers in the Langtang Himal, Nepal, from 1974 to 1999 Pellicciotti, Francesca Stephan, Christa Miles, Evan Herreid, Sam Immerzeel, Walter W. Bolch, Tobias 2015-01-01 https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/massbalance-changes-of-the-debriscovered-glaciers-in-the-langtang-himal-nepal-from-1974-to-1999(1479e9c9-62d9-4a0a-ad38-c7985c64fae2).html https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG13J237 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84937890810&partnerID=8YFLogxK eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Pellicciotti , F , Stephan , C , Miles , E , Herreid , S , Immerzeel , W W & Bolch , T 2015 , ' Mass-balance changes of the debris-covered glaciers in the Langtang Himal, Nepal, from 1974 to 1999 ' , Journal of Glaciology , vol. 61 , no. 226 , pp. 373-386 . https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG13J237 Debris-covered glaciers Glacier mass balance Remote sensing Surface mass budget Surface melt article 2015 ftunstandrewcris https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG13J237 2022-06-02T07:49:53Z Thick debris cover on glaciers can significantly reduce ice melt. However, several studies have suggested that debris-covered glaciers in the Himalaya might have lost mass at a rate similar to debris-free glaciers. We reconstruct elevation and mass changes for the debris-covered glaciers of the upper Langtang valley, Nepalese Himalaya, using a digital elevation model (DEM) from 1974 stereo Hexagon satellite data and the 2000 SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) DEM. Uncertainties are high in the accumulation areas, due to data gaps in the SRTM and difficulties with delineation of the glacier borders. Even with these uncertainties, we obtain thinning rates comparable to those of several other studies in the Himalaya. In particular, we obtain a total mass balance for the investigated debris-covered glaciers of the basin of -0.32 ± 0.18 m w.e.a -1 . However, there are major spatial differences both between glaciers and within any single glacier, exhibiting a very distinct nonlinear mass-balance profile with elevation. Through analysis of surface velocities derived from Landsat ETM+ imagery, we show that thinning occurs in areas of low velocity and low slope. These areas are prone to a general, dynamic decay of surface features and to the development of supraglacial lakes and ice cliffs, which may be responsible for a considerable increase in overall glacier ablation. Article in Journal/Newspaper Journal of Glaciology University of St Andrews: Research Portal Journal of Glaciology 61 226 373 386 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of St Andrews: Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftunstandrewcris |
language |
English |
topic |
Debris-covered glaciers Glacier mass balance Remote sensing Surface mass budget Surface melt |
spellingShingle |
Debris-covered glaciers Glacier mass balance Remote sensing Surface mass budget Surface melt Pellicciotti, Francesca Stephan, Christa Miles, Evan Herreid, Sam Immerzeel, Walter W. Bolch, Tobias Mass-balance changes of the debris-covered glaciers in the Langtang Himal, Nepal, from 1974 to 1999 |
topic_facet |
Debris-covered glaciers Glacier mass balance Remote sensing Surface mass budget Surface melt |
description |
Thick debris cover on glaciers can significantly reduce ice melt. However, several studies have suggested that debris-covered glaciers in the Himalaya might have lost mass at a rate similar to debris-free glaciers. We reconstruct elevation and mass changes for the debris-covered glaciers of the upper Langtang valley, Nepalese Himalaya, using a digital elevation model (DEM) from 1974 stereo Hexagon satellite data and the 2000 SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) DEM. Uncertainties are high in the accumulation areas, due to data gaps in the SRTM and difficulties with delineation of the glacier borders. Even with these uncertainties, we obtain thinning rates comparable to those of several other studies in the Himalaya. In particular, we obtain a total mass balance for the investigated debris-covered glaciers of the basin of -0.32 ± 0.18 m w.e.a -1 . However, there are major spatial differences both between glaciers and within any single glacier, exhibiting a very distinct nonlinear mass-balance profile with elevation. Through analysis of surface velocities derived from Landsat ETM+ imagery, we show that thinning occurs in areas of low velocity and low slope. These areas are prone to a general, dynamic decay of surface features and to the development of supraglacial lakes and ice cliffs, which may be responsible for a considerable increase in overall glacier ablation. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Pellicciotti, Francesca Stephan, Christa Miles, Evan Herreid, Sam Immerzeel, Walter W. Bolch, Tobias |
author_facet |
Pellicciotti, Francesca Stephan, Christa Miles, Evan Herreid, Sam Immerzeel, Walter W. Bolch, Tobias |
author_sort |
Pellicciotti, Francesca |
title |
Mass-balance changes of the debris-covered glaciers in the Langtang Himal, Nepal, from 1974 to 1999 |
title_short |
Mass-balance changes of the debris-covered glaciers in the Langtang Himal, Nepal, from 1974 to 1999 |
title_full |
Mass-balance changes of the debris-covered glaciers in the Langtang Himal, Nepal, from 1974 to 1999 |
title_fullStr |
Mass-balance changes of the debris-covered glaciers in the Langtang Himal, Nepal, from 1974 to 1999 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mass-balance changes of the debris-covered glaciers in the Langtang Himal, Nepal, from 1974 to 1999 |
title_sort |
mass-balance changes of the debris-covered glaciers in the langtang himal, nepal, from 1974 to 1999 |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/massbalance-changes-of-the-debriscovered-glaciers-in-the-langtang-himal-nepal-from-1974-to-1999(1479e9c9-62d9-4a0a-ad38-c7985c64fae2).html https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG13J237 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84937890810&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
genre |
Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Journal of Glaciology |
op_source |
Pellicciotti , F , Stephan , C , Miles , E , Herreid , S , Immerzeel , W W & Bolch , T 2015 , ' Mass-balance changes of the debris-covered glaciers in the Langtang Himal, Nepal, from 1974 to 1999 ' , Journal of Glaciology , vol. 61 , no. 226 , pp. 373-386 . https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG13J237 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG13J237 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
61 |
container_issue |
226 |
container_start_page |
373 |
op_container_end_page |
386 |
_version_ |
1766049185697628160 |