Mass and volume changes of Langjökull ice cap, Iceland, ~1890 to 2009, deduced from old maps, satellite images and in situ mass balance measurements

• Main Authors: Palsson, F., Gudmundsson, Sv., Bjornsson, H., Berthier, Etienne, Magnusson, E., Gudmundsson, Sn., Haraldsson, H.
• Other Authors: University of Iceland Reykjavik, GLACIO LEGOS, Laboratoire d'études en Géophysique et océanographie spatiales (LEGOS), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2012
• Subjects: [SDU.STU.OC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Oceanography; Ela; Langjökull; glacier; Ice cap; Iceland
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-00846328

International audience We describe the mass balance of Langjökull ice cap, Iceland, (∼920 km²), ∼190 km^3) during several time intervals of different climate conditions that span the 20th century until present. The elevation range of Langjökull is 460-1440 m a.s.l. with a zero mass balance equilibrium line altitude (ELA) of 1000 m (southern outlets). The mass balance of the ice cap has been observed in situ every year since 1996-1997 and also assessed from estimation of glacier volume changes by comparing series of elevation maps from: 1937, 1945-1946, 1986, 1997 and 2004. The glacier margin of the Little Ice Age maximum (LIA; ∼1890) was estimated from the location of end moraines. The difference between the 1997-2004 annnual specific net balance estimated by volume change and in situ measurements is negligible (∼5 cmwe). During the two warm periods 1936-1946 and 1997-2009 the mean mass balance was similar; -1.6 and -1.3 m we/yr, respectively. The colder climate during 1946-1986 and cooler yet in 1986-1997 resulted in specific mass balance close to zero; -0.3 and -0.2 m we/yr, respectively.