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Atmosphere
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Glaciers Mass Balance Sensitivity to Meteorological Variability
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Glaciers Mass Balance Sensitivity to Meteorological Variability

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Meteorology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2022) | Viewed by 10894

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Stanislav Kutuzov

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119017 Moscow, Russia
Interests: glacier mass balance; remote sensing; ice cores; dust; GPR
Dr. Martina Barandun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Earth Observation, Eurac research, 39012 Bolzano, Italy
Interests: cryosphere monitoring; glacier mass balance observation and modeling; multi-source and multi-resolution remote sensing; scalability and transferability of observations and models

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Surface mass balance is the most relevant glacier characteristic in terms of climate. Accumulation and ablation at the glacier surface are primarily driven by atmospheric conditions. Monitoring glacier mass balance can thus help to observe changes of the state of the atmosphere. Direct seasonal to annual glaciological measurements of glacier mass changes are available for a limited number of glaciers worldwide. Regional- and global-scale geodetic mass balance data were obtained recently up to semi-decadal resolution. Glacier recess worldwide has occurred more frequently in recent decades as a response to temperature increases. There are considerable interannual and regional variations to this global trend due to the interplay of other factors, such as changes in other meteorological variables in combination with static, morphotopographic drivers, as well as internal glacier dynamics. Meteorological parameters such as atmospheric humidity, incoming shortwave and longwave radiation, and near-surface wind speed and direction also influence glacier mass balance. However, changes to these meteorological variables and the interplay with morphotopographic characteristics and their effect on glacier dynamics are still understudied both from an observation and modeling standpoint.

We invite contributions to this Special Issue focusing on linkages of the glacier mass balance to changes in meteorological variables inferred from the observations and modeling studies.

Dr. Stanislav Kutuzov
Dr. Martina Barandun
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • glacier surface mass balance
  • sensitivity
  • meteorological variables
  • modeling

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2710 KiB  
Article
Runoff Response to Climate in Two River Basins Supplied by Small Glacier Meltwater in Southern and Northern Tibetan Plateau
by Ruzhen Yao, Shenghai Li and Deliang Chen
Atmosphere 2023, 14(4), 711; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14040711 - 13 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1768
Abstract
The Tibetan Plateau (TP) has experienced amplified warming in recent decades, causing glaciers to melt and affecting river runoff. It is well established that the southern and northern areas of the TP have responded to climate changes differently, with the north dominated by [...] Read more.
The Tibetan Plateau (TP) has experienced amplified warming in recent decades, causing glaciers to melt and affecting river runoff. It is well established that the southern and northern areas of the TP have responded to climate changes differently, with the north dominated by a westerly climate and the south by the Indian monsoon. While there are more glaciers in the TP than in any other region outside the polar areas, most of these glaciers are tiny, and only a limited number of them have been monitored to study mass balance and downward runoff. This study used the mass balance measured at two glaciers along with in situ and satellite data to drive a hydrological model called the Alpine Runoff Predictor that includes glacier melt to simulate glacial melting and the accompanying hydrological processes of the two glacierized basins, analyze their contributions to the river runoffs, and investigate their responses to local climate changes. The results show that the glacier meltwater in both river basins showed an increasing trend, with values of 0.001 × 108 m3 a−1 in the Kyanjing River basin and 0.0095 × 108 m3 a−1 in the Tuole River basin. However, their multi-year average contributions to the runoff were 12.5% and 5.6%, respectively. In contrast to the Tuole River basin, where runoff is increasing (0.0617 × 108 m3 a−1), the Kyanjing River basin has decreasing runoff (−0.0216 × 108 m3 a−1) as a result of decreasing precipitation. This result highlights the dominant role played by precipitation changes in the two basins under study, which are characterized by small glacier meltwater contributions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Glaciers Mass Balance Sensitivity to Meteorological Variability)
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18 pages, 2930 KiB  
Article
Reconstructed Centennial Mass Balance Change for Golubin Glacier, Northern Tien Shan
by Erlan Azisov, Martin Hoelzle, Sergiy Vorogushyn, Tomas Saks, Ryskul Usubaliev, Mukhammed Esenaman uulu and Martina Barandun
Atmosphere 2022, 13(6), 954; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13060954 - 11 Jun 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2750
Abstract
Mass balance measurements for Golubin glacier in Northern Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan, have been discontinuous over the last century, with significant data gaps. We provide a unique over 100-year-long mass balance series on daily resolution. We applied a temperature index model calibrated with glaciological [...] Read more.
Mass balance measurements for Golubin glacier in Northern Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan, have been discontinuous over the last century, with significant data gaps. We provide a unique over 100-year-long mass balance series on daily resolution. We applied a temperature index model calibrated with glaciological measurements and validated with secular mass balances derived from independent length change observations. A comparison with other recent geodetic studies reveals good agreement. Golubin lost −0.16 ± 0.45 m w.e. a−1 from 1900/1901 to 2020/2021. From the long-term mass balance time series, we identify a shift to a more negative/less positive regime with time, with a steepening of the ablation and accumulation gradients, especially for the past two decades. We observe a parallel shift of the mass balance gradient accompanied by a rotation of the ablation gradient due to increased ablation at the glacier tongue and accumulation above the equilibrium line altitude. This tendency is believed to intensify in the future, affecting glaciers’ mass balance sensitivity to changes in atmospheric conditions and year-to-year variability and resulting in irregular melt water release feeding the rivers that provide water to Bishkek. These kinds of datasets are sparse for Tien Shan and, yet, indispensable to enhancing our understanding of glacier changes in High Mountain Asia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Glaciers Mass Balance Sensitivity to Meteorological Variability)
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26 pages, 11042 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Regional Changes in Geodetic Mass Balance for All Caucasus Glaciers over the Past Two Decades
by Levan G. Tielidze, Vincent Jomelli and Gennady A. Nosenko
Atmosphere 2022, 13(2), 256; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13020256 - 2 Feb 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5298
Abstract
Glaciers and snow in the Caucasus are major sources of runoff for populated places in many parts of this mountain region. These glaciers have shown a continuous area decrease; however, the magnitude of mass balance changes at the regional scale need to be [...] Read more.
Glaciers and snow in the Caucasus are major sources of runoff for populated places in many parts of this mountain region. These glaciers have shown a continuous area decrease; however, the magnitude of mass balance changes at the regional scale need to be further investigated. Here, we analyzed regional changes in surface elevation (or thickness) and geodetic mass balance for 1861 glaciers (1186.1 ± 53.3 km2) between 2000 and 2019 from recently published dataset and outlines of the Caucasus glacier inventory. We used a debris-covered glacier dataset to compare the changes between debris-free and debris-covered glaciers. We also used 30 m resolution ASTER GDEM (2011) to determine topographic details, such as aspect, slope, and elevation distribution of glaciers. Results indicate that the mean rate of glacier mass loss has accelerated from 0.42 ± 0.61 m of water equivalent per year (m w.e. a−1) over 2000–2010, to 0.64 ± 0.66 m w.e. a−1 over 2010–2019. This was 0.53 ± 0.38 m w.e. a−1 in 2000–2019. Mass loss rates differ between the western, central, and eastern Greater Caucasus, indicating the highest mean annual mass loss in the western section (0.65 ± 0.43 m w.e. a−1) in 2000–2019 and much lower in the central (0.48 ± 0.35 m w.e. a−1) and eastern (0.38 ± 0.37 m w.e. a−1) sections. No difference was found between the northern and southern slopes over the last twenty years corresponding 0.53 ± 0.38 m w.e. a−1. The observed decrease in mean annual geodetic mass balance is higher on debris-covered glaciers (0.66 ± 0.17 m w.e. a−1) than those on debris-free glaciers (0.49 ± 0.15 m w.e. a−1) between 2000 and 2019. Thickness change values in 2010–2019 were 1.5 times more negative (0.75 ± 0.70 m a−1) than those in 2000–2010 (0.50 ± 0.67 m a−1) in the entire region, suggesting an acceleration of ice thinning starting in 2010. A significant positive trend of May-September air temperatures at two selected meteorological stations (Terskol and Mestia) along with a negative trend of October-April precipitation might be responsible for the negative mass balances and thinning for all Caucasus glaciers over the study period. These results provide insight into the change processes of regional glaciers, which is key information to improve glaciological and hydrological projections in the Caucasus region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Glaciers Mass Balance Sensitivity to Meteorological Variability)
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