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| Titel |
Comparison of tropical and subtropical glacier surface energy balance in Africa and South America |
| VerfasserIn |
L. Nicholson, R. Prinz, C. Kinnard, T. Mölg, M. Winkler, G. Kaser  |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2010
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 12 (2010) |
| Datensatznummer |
250045435
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Tropical glaciers exist only at high altitude, and meteorological and surface energy balance
studies of these glaciers can tell us much about the conditions and changes occurring in the
mid troposphere. Understanding the surface energy balance and resultant mass
balance regime of tropical glaciers is prerequisite to predicting glacier evolution, and
future meltwater contributions to local hydrological resources, in response to future
climate scenarios. Tropical glacier mass balance variability is strongly linked to
precipitation and, via this, to multi-annual climate oscillations such as ENSO and IOZM,
so it is useful to understand what role these differing regional influences play in
comparison to the similarities imposed by the overarching tropical climate conditions and
seasonality.
New surface energy balance and mass balance data is available from Lewis glacier
(Kenya, 0-09’ S; 37-18’ E), and here we use an energy and mass balance model to determine
the surface energy flux characteristics at this site through a wet and dry season. Results are
compared with those from Kersten glacier (Tanzania, 3-04’ S; 37-21’ E) to understand how
conditions at these two glaciers compare and thus what coherent and contrasting
climatic information glaciological records from these two sites can be expected to
deliver.
Meteorological data available from glacier stations on Antizana (Ecuador, 0-25’ S;
78-09’ W), Artesonraju (Peru, 8-28’ S; 77-38’ W) Zongo (Bolivia, 16-39’ S; 67-47’ W)
and Guanaco (Chile, 29-20’ S; 70-00’ W) glaciers in South America offer the
opportunity to examine how the surface fluxes and seasonal variability of the energy
balance compares to those of the African glaciers. We include the extra-tropical
Chilean example for comparison with the similarly high altitude, cold ice of Kersten
glacier. |
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