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| Titel |
The influence of changes in glacier extent and surface elevation on modeled mass balance |
| VerfasserIn |
F. Paul |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
1994-0416
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: The Cryosphere ; 4, no. 4 ; Nr. 4, no. 4 (2010-12-10), S.569-581 |
| Datensatznummer |
250001905
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/tc-4-569-2010.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Glaciers are widely recognized as unique demonstration objects for climate
change impacts, mostly due to the strong change of glacier length in
response to small climatic changes. However, glacier mass balance as the
direct response to the annual atmospheric conditions can be better
interpreted in meteorological terms. When the climatic signal is deduced
from long-term mass balance data, changes in glacier geometry (i.e. surface
extent and elevation) must be considered as such adjustments form an
essential part of the glacier reaction to new climatic conditions. In this
study, a set of modelling experiments is performed to assess the influence
of changes in glacier geometry on mass balance for constant climatic
conditions. The calculations are based on a simplified distributed
energy/mass balance model in combination with information on glacier extent
and surface elevation for the years 1850 and 1973/1985 for about 60 glaciers
in the Swiss Alps. The results reveal that over this period about 50–70%
of the glacier reaction to climate change (here a one degree increase in
temperature) is "hidden" in the geometric adjustment, while only 30–50%
can be measured as the long-term mean mass balance. For larger glaciers, the
effect of the areal change is partly reduced by a lowered surface elevation,
which results in a slightly more negative balance despite a potential
increase of topographic shading. In view of several additional reinforcement
feedbacks that are observed in periods of strong glacier decline, it seems
that the climatic interpretation of long-term mass balance data is rather
complex. |
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