|
Titel |
Deriving mass balance and calving variations from reanalysis data and sparse observations, Glaciar San Rafael, northern Patagonia, 1950–2005 |
VerfasserIn |
M. Koppes, H. Conway, L. A. Rasmussen, M. Chernos |
Medientyp |
Artikel
|
Sprache |
Englisch
|
ISSN |
1994-0416
|
Digitales Dokument |
URL |
Erschienen |
In: The Cryosphere ; 5, no. 3 ; Nr. 5, no. 3 (2011-09-29), S.791-808 |
Datensatznummer |
250002605
|
Publikation (Nr.) |
copernicus.org/tc-5-791-2011.pdf |
|
|
|
Zusammenfassung |
Mass balance variations of Glaciar San Rafael, the northernmost tidewater
glacier in the Southern Hemisphere, are reconstructed over the period
1950–2005 using NCEP-NCAR reanalysis climate data together with sparse,
local historical observations of air temperature, precipitation,
accumulation, ablation, thinning, calving, and glacier retreat. The combined
observations over the past 50 yr indicate that Glaciar San Rafael has
thinned and retreated since 1959, with a total mass loss of ~22 km3
of ice eq. Over that period, except for a short period of cooling
from 1998–2003, the climate has become progressively warmer and drier, which
has resulted primarily in pervasive thinning of the glacier surface and a
decrease in calving rates, with only minor acceleration in retreat of the
terminus. A comparison of calving fluxes derived from the mass balance
variations and from theoretical calving and sliding laws suggests that
calving rates are inversely correlated with retreat rates, and that terminus
geometry is more important than balance fluxes to the terminus in driving
calving dynamics. For Glaciar San Rafael, regional climate warming has not
yet resulted in the significant changes in glacier length seen in other
calving glaciers in the region, emphasizing the complex dynamics between
climate inputs, topographic constraints and glacier response in calving
glacier systems. |
|
|
Teil von |
|
|
|
|
|
|