Using ASTER satellite and ground-based surface temperature measurements to derive supraglacial debris cover and thickness patterns on Miage Glacier (Mont Blanc Massif, Italy)

Mihalcea, Claudia; Brock, Benjamin; Diolaiuti, Guglielmina; D’Agata, C.; Citterio, Michele; Kirkbride, Martin P.; Cutler, Mark E. J.; Smiraglia, Claudio

doi:10.1016/j.coldregions.2007.03.004

Cited by 117 publications

(162 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…The gradient was consistent with ASTER-derived thickness data on the Baltoro glacier (Mihalcea et al, 2008a) except close to the terminus. However, our approach results in peak thicknesses of less than ∼ 15 cm on glaciers less than 20 km in length, while other studies in the Himalaya and elsewhere have reported much higher depths on glaciers of similar lengths (e.g., Mihalcea et al, 2008b;Rounce and McKinney, 2014). Thus, the impact on glacier ablation that we reported likely represents an underestimate, due to nonlinear effects near termini and the likely presence of steeper thickness gradients on shorter glaciers.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 42%

Impact of debris cover on glacier ablation and atmosphere–glacier feedbacks in the Karakoram

et al. 2015

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Abstract. The Karakoram range of the Hindu-Kush Himalaya is characterized by both extensive glaciation and a widespread prevalence of surficial debris cover on the glaciers. Surface debris exerts a strong control on glacier surface-energy and mass fluxes and, by modifying surface boundary conditions, has the potential to alter atmosphereglacier feedbacks. To date, the influence of debris on Karakoram glaciers has only been directly assessed by a small number of glaciological measurements over short periods. Here, we include supraglacial debris in a high-resolution, interactively coupled atmosphere-glacier modeling system. To investigate glaciological and meteorological changes that arise due to the presence of debris, we perform two simulations using the coupled model from 1 May to 1 October 2004: one that treats all glacier surfaces as debris-free and one that introduces a simplified specification for the debris thickness. The basin-averaged impact of debris is a reduction in ablation of ∼ 14 %, although the difference exceeds 5 m w.e. on the lowest-altitude glacier tongues. The relatively modest reduction in basin-mean mass loss results in part from non-negligible sub-debris melt rates under thicker covers and from compensating increases in melt under thinner debris, and may help to explain the lack of distinct differences in recent elevation changes between clean and debriscovered ice. The presence of debris also strongly alters the surface boundary condition and thus heat exchanges with the atmosphere; near-surface meteorological fields at lower elevations and their vertical gradients; and the atmospheric boundary layer development. These findings are relevant for glacio-hydrological studies on debris-covered glaciers and contribute towards an improved understanding of glacier behavior in the Karakoram.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 42%

Impact of debris cover on glacier ablation and atmosphere–glacier feedbacks in the Karakoram

et al. 2015

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“…Remote-sensing approaches to mapping debris thickness (e.g. Mihalcea and others, 2008) could provide the necessary inputs to such models.…”

Section: Significance Of Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

An energy-balance model for debris-covered glaciers including heat conduction through the debris layer

Reid¹,

Brock²

2010

J. Glaciol.

214

284

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“…If the thermal conductivity of the debris is known, the model can solve directly for debris thickness (Foster et al, 2012). Mihalcea et al (2008a) used a different approach by deriving debris thickness from linear relationships between surface temperature and debris thickness for different elevation bands.…”

Section: R Rounce and D C Mckinney: Debris Thickness Of Glaciermentioning

confidence: 99%

Debris thickness of glaciers in the Everest area (Nepal Himalaya) derived from satellite imagery using a nonlinear energy balance model

2014

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Abstract. Debris thickness is an important characteristic of debris-covered glaciers in the Everest region of the Himalayas. The debris thickness controls the melt rates of the glaciers, which has large implications for hydrologic models, the glaciers' response to climate change, and the development of glacial lakes. Despite its importance, there is little knowledge of how the debris thickness varies over these glaciers. This paper uses an energy balance model in conjunction with Landsat7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) satellite imagery to derive thermal resistances, which are the debris thickness divided by the thermal conductivity. Model results are reported in terms of debris thickness using an effective thermal conductivity derived from field data. The developed model accounts for the nonlinear temperature gradient in the debris cover to derive reasonable debris thicknesses. Fieldwork performed on ImjaLhotse Shar Glacier in September 2013 was used to compare to the modeled debris thicknesses. Results indicate that accounting for the nonlinear temperature gradient is crucial. Furthermore, correcting the incoming shortwave radiation term for the effects of topography and resampling to the resolution of the thermal band's pixel is imperative to deriving reasonable debris thicknesses. Since the topographic correction is important, the model will improve with the quality of the digital elevation model (DEM). The main limitation of this work is the poor resolution (60 m) of the satellite's thermal band. The derived debris thicknesses are reasonable at this resolution, but trends related to slope and aspect are unable to be modeled on a finer scale. Nonetheless, the study finds this model derives reasonable debris thicknesses on this scale and was applied to other debris-covered glaciers in the Everest region.

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Using ASTER satellite and ground-based surface temperature measurements to derive supraglacial debris cover and thickness patterns on Miage Glacier (Mont Blanc Massif, Italy)

Cited by 117 publications

References 14 publications

Impact of debris cover on glacier ablation and atmosphere–glacier feedbacks in the Karakoram

Impact of debris cover on glacier ablation and atmosphere–glacier feedbacks in the Karakoram

An energy-balance model for debris-covered glaciers including heat conduction through the debris layer

Debris thickness of glaciers in the Everest area (Nepal Himalaya) derived from satellite imagery using a nonlinear energy balance model

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