Seasonal variability in velocity and ablation of Te Moeka o Tuawe/Fox Glacier, south Westland, New Zealand

Abstract

Seasonal variations in ablation and surface velocity were investigated on the lower Fox Glacier. Variations occur between summer and winter ablation, with surface velocity also showing marked seasonality. Recent advance has resulted in the glacier gaining around 200 m length since late 2004. Longer term, Fox Glacier appears linked to the Southern Oscillation Index, with positive glacier mass balances associated with negative Southern Oscillation Index (El Niño). An estimated glacier response time of approximately 9 -14 years suggests the current terminus advance was linked to mass gains in the mid-1990s. Recent collapses at the terminal face continue to prove a hazard at this busy tourist destination.

Glacier Remote Sensing Using Sentinel-2. Part I: Radiometric and Geometric Performance, and Application to Ice Velocity

“…Most of this increase seems to have happened on the middle, main ice flow ( Figure 14, lower panel). Such changes in speed are completely realistic according to ground measurements, and could be due to heavy rain events, for example [34]. These results demonstrate how the high accuracy of the displacements, as suggested based on the triangulated vector-sum residuals, can be applied to quantify ice velocity changes even over short time intervals of days or weeks.…”

Structural glaciology of a temperate maritime glacier: lower fox glacier, new zealand

“…This is probably indicative of the high surface velocities at Fox Glacier (>1 m d -1 ), and rapid response time (<10 yr) of this 12.7 km-long glacier (Purdie et al 2008b). The correspondence of measured strainrates to structure is not obvious, with percentage area change of strain net triangles showing a stronger relationship that measured strain-rates.…”

Interannual variability in net accumulation on Tasman Glacier and its relationship with climate

“…2010), and a 3.9 m thickening was recorded in the ablation area in 1985, but this wave of mass diffused in the low-gradient tongue without any advance at the terminus (Kirkbride, 1995). Conversely some fast responding debris-free glaciers, for example the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, experienced terminus advance in the late 1980s and 1990s (Chinn et al, 2005b;Purdie et al, 2008).…”