Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Apr 2003
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003eaeja....10299f&link_type=abstract
EGS - AGU - EUG Joint Assembly, Abstracts from the meeting held in Nice, France, 6 - 11 April 2003, abstract #10299
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
Glacier signals from mountain areas are key elements of early detection strategies for dealing with possible man-induced climate change. The IPCC Third Assessment Report indeed defines mountain glaciers as one of the best natural indicators of atmospheric warming with the highest reliability ranking. In the chain of processes linking climate and glacier fluctuations, glacier length variation is the indirect/delayed response, whereas glacier mass change is the direct/undelayed reaction. Internationally coordinated long-term monitoring of glaciers started in 1894. The responsibility to collect and publish standardized data has been assumed since 1986 by the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS). This work is primarily being carried out under the auspices of the International Commission on Snow and Ice (ICSI/IAHS) and the Federation of Astronomical and Geophysical Services (FAGS/ICSU). The WGMS maintains data exchange with the ICSU World Data Center A (WDC-A) for Glaciology in Boulder, Colorado. Corresponding data bases and measurement networks form an essential part of the Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G: operated by the WGMS) as a pilot project within the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS/GCOS). A network of 60 glacier mass balance observations provides information on presently observed rates of change in glacier mass, corresponding acceleration trends and regional distribution patterns. A preliminary calculation of the mass balance observations in 2000/2001 relating to 23 selected data sets provide a mean specific (annual) net balance of -367 mm w.e., 26 % of the observed balances were positive. The corresponding mean in six mountain ranges was -571 mm w.e. Such values indicate that mass losses in 2000/2001 have been less extreme than in the extraordinary years before but are still strongly negative. Over the past two decades glacier melt appears to continue at a considerable and possibly even an accelerating rate. The observed average changes in ice thickness interpreted as corresponding amounts of latent heat required for melting reflect an additional energy flux of a few W/m2 with an acceleration trend of some hundreds of a W/m2 per year. Such values are broadly consistent with model calculations. It should, however, be noted that the processes involved (energy balance, glacier dynamics) are complex and not fully understood.
Frauenfelder Regula
Haeberli Wilfried
Hoelzle Martin
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