Mass fluxes and dynamics of Moreno Glacier, Southern Patagonia Icefield

Rott, Helmut; Stuefer, Martin; Siegel, A.; Skvarca, Pedro; Eckstaller, Alfons

doi:10.1029/98gl00833

Cited by 115 publications

(102 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…First mentioned by Naruse and others [52], de Angelis [17] showed by mass balance computations, that for many of the Patagonian glaciers the Accumulation Area Ratio (AAR) and hypsometry can explain many of the observed glacier changes of SPI despite dynamic adjustments. Several studies [53][54][55] also attributed the stability of Perito Moreno Glacier partly to this, since the equilibrium line is located in a steep area and hence a shift does not affect large areas as e.g., on flat areas or glaciers with a primarily low elevation distribution such as Upsala [55]. De Angelis referred to this as the location of the bulge in the hypsometric profile [17].…”

Section: Elevation and Mass Changes Of The Entire Spimentioning

confidence: 99%

Elevation and Mass Changes of the Southern Patagonia Icefield Derived from TanDEM-X and SRTM Data

et al. 2018

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Abstract:The contribution to sea level rise from Patagonian icefields is one of the largest mass losses outside the large ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland. However, only a few studies have provided large-scale assessments in a spatially detailed way to address the reaction of individual glaciers in Patagonia and hence to better understand and explain the underlying processes. In this work, we use repeat radar interferometric measurements of the German TerraSAR-X-Add-on for Digital Elevation Measurements (TanDEM-X) satellite constellation between 2011/12 and 2016 together with the digital elevation model from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) in 2000 in order to derive surface elevation and mass changes of the Southern Patagonia Icefield (SPI). Our results reveal a mass loss rate of −11.84 ± 3.3 Gt·a −1 (corresponding to 0.033 ± 0.009 mm·a −1 sea level rise) for an area of 12573 km 2 in the period 2000-2015/16. This equals a specific glacier mass balance of −0.941 ± 0.19 m w.e.·a −1 for the whole SPI. These values are comparable with previous estimates since the 1970s, but a magnitude larger than mass change rates reported since the Little Ice Age. The spatial pattern reveals that not all glaciers respond similarly to changes and that various factors need to be considered in order to explain the observed changes. Our multi-temporal coverage of the southern part of the SPI (south of 50.3 • S) shows that the mean elevation change rates do not vary significantly over time below the equilibrium line. However, we see indications for more positive mass balances due to possible precipitation increase in 2014 and 2015. We conclude that bi-static radar interferometry is a suitable tool to accurately measure glacier volume and mass changes in frequently cloudy regions. We recommend regular repeat TanDEM-X acquisitions to be scheduled for the maximum summer melt extent in order to minimize the effects of radar signal penetration and to increase product quality.

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Section: Elevation and Mass Changes Of The Entire Spimentioning

confidence: 99%

Elevation and Mass Changes of the Southern Patagonia Icefield Derived from TanDEM-X and SRTM Data

et al. 2018

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“…The latter, however, was mostly unknown. Bathymetric measurements of the water bodies in which the glaciers are calving were available for the glaciers Jorge Montt (Rivera et al, 2012b), O'Higgins (unpublished data), Perito Moreno (Rott et al, 1998), Upsala (Skvarca et al, 2003), PioXI (Warren and Rivera, 1994) and Tyndall (Raymond et al, 2005), which provided a good constraint to the ice thickness at the front. There are bathymetric measurements from the Chilean Navy Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOA) in many Patagonian fjords as well, but mostly they do not extend towards the glacier fronts.…”

Section: Calving Losses Of the Individual Glaciersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying mass balance processes on the Southern Patagonia Icefield

et al. 2015

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Abstract. We present surface mass balance simulations of the Southern Patagonia Icefield (SPI) driven by downscaled reanalysis data. The simulations were evaluated and interpreted using geodetic mass balances, measured point balances and a complete velocity field of the icefield for spring 2004. The high measured accumulation of snow of up to 15.4 m w.e. yr −1 (meters water equivalent per year) as well as the high measured ablation of up to 11 m w.e. yr −1 is reproduced by the model. The overall modeled surface mass balance was positive and increasing during 1975-2011. Subtracting the surface mass balance from geodetic balances, calving fluxes were inferred. Mass losses of the SPI due to calving were strongly increasing from 1975-2000 to 2000-2011 and higher than losses due to surface melt. Calving fluxes were inferred for the individual glacier catchments and compared to fluxes estimated from velocity data. Measurements of ice thickness and flow velocities at the glaciers' front and spatially distributed accumulation measurements can help to reduce the uncertainties of the different terms in the mass balance of the Southern Patagonia Icefield.

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“…The mass balance was estimated at 6000-8000 mm from drillings (Yamada, 1987;Matsuoka and Naruse, 1999;Shiraiwa et al, 2002) and satellite image analysis (Rott et al, 1998), while from hydrological balance it was estimated at 6000-7400 mm (Escobar et al, 1992). Nichols and Miller (1951), who visited Glaciar Ameghino in the HPS (Fig.…”

Section: Hielo Patagónicomentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene glaciations of Hielo Patag^|^oacute;nico (Patagonia Icefield), South America: A brief review

Aniya

2013

Geochem. J.

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Mass fluxes and dynamics of Moreno Glacier, Southern Patagonia Icefield

Cited by 115 publications

References 8 publications

Elevation and Mass Changes of the Southern Patagonia Icefield Derived from TanDEM-X and SRTM Data

Elevation and Mass Changes of the Southern Patagonia Icefield Derived from TanDEM-X and SRTM Data

Quantifying mass balance processes on the Southern Patagonia Icefield

Holocene glaciations of Hielo Patag^|^oacute;nico (Patagonia Icefield), South America: A brief review

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