Surface energy and mass balance of Mera Glacier (Nepal, Central Himalaya) and their sensitivity to temperature and precipitation
The sensitivity of glacier mass balance to temperature and precipitation variations is crucial for informing models that simulate glaciers’ response to climate change. In this study, we simulate the glacier-wide mass balance of Mera Glacier with a surface energy-balance model, driven by in situ mete...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Glaciology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S002214302400042X/type/journal_article |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841526335600590848 |
|---|---|
| author | Arbindra Khadka Fanny Brun Patrick Wagnon Dibas Shrestha Tenzing Chogyal Sherpa |
| author_facet | Arbindra Khadka Fanny Brun Patrick Wagnon Dibas Shrestha Tenzing Chogyal Sherpa |
| author_sort | Arbindra Khadka |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The sensitivity of glacier mass balance to temperature and precipitation variations is crucial for informing models that simulate glaciers’ response to climate change. In this study, we simulate the glacier-wide mass balance of Mera Glacier with a surface energy-balance model, driven by in situ meteorological data, from 2016 to 2020. The analysis of the share of the energy fluxes of the glacier shows the radiative fluxes account for almost all the energy available during the melt season (May–October). However, turbulent fluxes are significant outside the monsoon (June–September). On an annual scale, melt is the dominant mass flux at all elevations, but 44% of the melt refreezes across the glacier. By reshuffling the available observations, we create 180 synthetic series of hourly meteorological forcings to force the model over a wide range of plausible climate conditions. A +1 (−1)°C change in temperature results in a −0.75 ± 0.17 (+0.93 ± 0.18) m w.e. change in glacier-wide mass balance and a +20 (−20)% change in precipitation results in a +0.52 ± 0.10 (−0.60 ± 0.11) m w.e. change. Our study highlights the need for physical-based approaches to produce consistent forcing datasets, and calls for more meteorological and glaciological measurements in High Mountain Asia. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-34548f175b7e4820869d9633bc22169f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Glaciology |
| spelling | doaj-art-34548f175b7e4820869d9633bc22169f2025-01-16T21:53:30ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Glaciology0022-14301727-56522024-01-017010.1017/jog.2024.42Surface energy and mass balance of Mera Glacier (Nepal, Central Himalaya) and their sensitivity to temperature and precipitationArbindra Khadka0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8564-1477Fanny Brun1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6607-0667Patrick Wagnon2Dibas Shrestha3Tenzing Chogyal Sherpa4University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, IGE, Grenoble, France International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Kathmandu, Nepal Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, NepalUniversity Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, IGE, Grenoble, FranceUniversity Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, IGE, Grenoble, FranceCentral Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, NepalInternational Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Kathmandu, NepalThe sensitivity of glacier mass balance to temperature and precipitation variations is crucial for informing models that simulate glaciers’ response to climate change. In this study, we simulate the glacier-wide mass balance of Mera Glacier with a surface energy-balance model, driven by in situ meteorological data, from 2016 to 2020. The analysis of the share of the energy fluxes of the glacier shows the radiative fluxes account for almost all the energy available during the melt season (May–October). However, turbulent fluxes are significant outside the monsoon (June–September). On an annual scale, melt is the dominant mass flux at all elevations, but 44% of the melt refreezes across the glacier. By reshuffling the available observations, we create 180 synthetic series of hourly meteorological forcings to force the model over a wide range of plausible climate conditions. A +1 (−1)°C change in temperature results in a −0.75 ± 0.17 (+0.93 ± 0.18) m w.e. change in glacier-wide mass balance and a +20 (−20)% change in precipitation results in a +0.52 ± 0.10 (−0.60 ± 0.11) m w.e. change. Our study highlights the need for physical-based approaches to produce consistent forcing datasets, and calls for more meteorological and glaciological measurements in High Mountain Asia.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S002214302400042X/type/journal_articleenergy balanceglacier mass balancemountain glaciers |
| spellingShingle | Arbindra Khadka Fanny Brun Patrick Wagnon Dibas Shrestha Tenzing Chogyal Sherpa Surface energy and mass balance of Mera Glacier (Nepal, Central Himalaya) and their sensitivity to temperature and precipitation Journal of Glaciology energy balance glacier mass balance mountain glaciers |
| title | Surface energy and mass balance of Mera Glacier (Nepal, Central Himalaya) and their sensitivity to temperature and precipitation |
| title_full | Surface energy and mass balance of Mera Glacier (Nepal, Central Himalaya) and their sensitivity to temperature and precipitation |
| title_fullStr | Surface energy and mass balance of Mera Glacier (Nepal, Central Himalaya) and their sensitivity to temperature and precipitation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Surface energy and mass balance of Mera Glacier (Nepal, Central Himalaya) and their sensitivity to temperature and precipitation |
| title_short | Surface energy and mass balance of Mera Glacier (Nepal, Central Himalaya) and their sensitivity to temperature and precipitation |
| title_sort | surface energy and mass balance of mera glacier nepal central himalaya and their sensitivity to temperature and precipitation |
| topic | energy balance glacier mass balance mountain glaciers |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S002214302400042X/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT arbindrakhadka surfaceenergyandmassbalanceofmeraglaciernepalcentralhimalayaandtheirsensitivitytotemperatureandprecipitation AT fannybrun surfaceenergyandmassbalanceofmeraglaciernepalcentralhimalayaandtheirsensitivitytotemperatureandprecipitation AT patrickwagnon surfaceenergyandmassbalanceofmeraglaciernepalcentralhimalayaandtheirsensitivitytotemperatureandprecipitation AT dibasshrestha surfaceenergyandmassbalanceofmeraglaciernepalcentralhimalayaandtheirsensitivitytotemperatureandprecipitation AT tenzingchogyalsherpa surfaceenergyandmassbalanceofmeraglaciernepalcentralhimalayaandtheirsensitivitytotemperatureandprecipitation |