Parameterizing Glacier Retreat and Thinning: A Case Study in High Mountain Asia
Abstract
In order to effectively represent glacier dynamics, glacier evolution models must account for geometry changes from surface mass-balance feedback. However, complex flow models are not easily applicable on regional or global scales. Previously used scaling methods are simpler than flow models, but they do not account for glacier thinning.
Glaciers typically show most thinning at lower elevations and least thinning at higher elevations, however the factors influencing these relative thinning patterns must be better understood. Here, we investigate how glacier thinning varies with elevation, in order to constrain retreat parameterizations. Using geodetic data from 170 glaciers in the High Mountain Asia region, we determine for each glacier how normalized changes in ice thickness vary with normalized elevation ranges. Through an empirical analysis, we then investigate whether those normalized curves are impacted by factors such as glacier area, slope, aspect, debris cover, length, and glacier terminus elevation. Results indicate that shallower slope and less glacier-wide surface debris cover are both associated with more relative glacier thinning toward the glacier terminus. This study was partially supported by the NSF REU program, grant OPP 1560372.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFM.C11C1138T
- Keywords:
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- 0758 Remote sensing;
- CRYOSPHEREDE: 0762 Mass balance;
- CRYOSPHEREDE: 0774 Dynamics;
- CRYOSPHEREDE: 0776 Glaciology;
- CRYOSPHERE