Local- and Regional-Scale Forcing of Glacier Mass Balance Changes in the Swiss Alps

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorGharehchahi, Saeideh
dc.contributor.authorBallinger, Thomas J.
dc.contributor.authorJensen, Jennifer L. R.
dc.contributor.authorBhardwaj, Anshuman
dc.contributor.authorSam, Lydia
dc.contributor.authorWeaver, Russell
dc.contributor.authorButler, David
dc.date.accessioned2021-07-29T17:22:13Z
dc.date.available2021-07-29T17:22:13Z
dc.date.issued2021-05-17
dc.description.abstractGlacier mass variations are climate indicators. Therefore, it is essential to examine both winter and summer mass balance variability over a long period of time to address climate-related ice mass fluctuations. In this study, we analyze glacier mass balance components and hypsometric characteristics with respect to their interactions with local meteorological variables and remote large-scale atmospheric and oceanic patterns. The results show that all selected glaciers have lost their equilibrium condition in recent decades, with persistent negative annual mass balance trends and decreasing accumulation area ratios (AARs), accompanied by increasing air temperatures of ≥ +0.45 °C decade−1. The controlling factor of annual mass balance is mainly attributed to summer mass losses, which are correlated with (warming) June to September air temperatures. In addition, the interannual variability of summer and winter mass balances is primarily associated to the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), Greenland Blocking Index (GBI), and East Atlantic (EA) teleconnections. Although climate parameters are playing a significant role in determining the glacier mass balance in the region, the observed correlations and mass balance trends are in agreement with the hypsometric distribution and morphology of the glaciers. The analysis of decadal frontal retreat using Landsat images from 1984 to 2014 also supports the findings of this research, highlighting the impact of lake formation at terminus areas on rapid glacier retreat and mass loss in the Swiss Alps.
dc.description.departmentGeography and Environmental Studies
dc.formatText
dc.format.extent28 pages
dc.format.medium1 file (.pdf)
dc.identifier.citationGharehchahi, S., Ballinger, T. J., Jensen, J. L. R., Bhardwaj, A., Sam, L., Weaver, R. C., & Butler, D. R. (2021). Local- and regional-scale forcing of glacier mass balance changes in the Swiss Alps. Remote Sensing, 13(10), 1949.
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.3390/rs13101949
dc.identifier.issn2072-4292
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10877/14126
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
dc.rights.holder© 2021 The Authors.
dc.rights.licenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
dc.sourceRemote Sensing, 2021, Vol. 13, No. 10, Article 1949.
dc.subjectglacier mass balance
dc.subjectclimate change
dc.subjectregional atmospheric circulations
dc.subjectremote sensing
dc.subjecthypsometric index
dc.subjecthypsometric integral
dc.subjectfrontal retreat rate
dc.subjectSwiss Alps
dc.subjectGeography and Environmental Studies
dc.titleLocal- and Regional-Scale Forcing of Glacier Mass Balance Changes in the Swiss Alps
dc.typeArticle

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
remotesensing-13-01949-v3.pdf
Size:
7.04 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
2.54 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

College of Liberal Arts