Spatial pattern of glacier mass balance sensitivity to atmospheric forcing in High Mountain Asia
The complex topography and size of High Mountain Asia (HMA) result in large differences in glacier mass-balance variability and climate sensitivity. Current understanding of these sensitivities is limited by simplifications in past studies’ model structure. This study overcomes this limitation by us...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2023-12-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Glaciology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143023000461/type/journal_article |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1846127763914752000 |
|---|---|
| author | Anselm Arndt Christoph Schneider |
| author_facet | Anselm Arndt Christoph Schneider |
| author_sort | Anselm Arndt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The complex topography and size of High Mountain Asia (HMA) result in large differences in glacier mass-balance variability and climate sensitivity. Current understanding of these sensitivities is limited by simplifications in past studies’ model structure. This study overcomes this limitation by using a mass-balance model to investigate the climatic mass-balance variability and climate sensitivity of 16 glaciers covering major mountain ranges in HMA. Generally, glaciers in the southeast have higher mass turnover while glaciers at the margins of HMA show higher interannual mass-balance variability. All glaciers are most sensitive to temperature perturbations in summer. The climatic mass balance of 15 glaciers is most sensitive to precipitation perturbations in summer or spring and summer, even if the seasonal accumulation peak is not in summer. Only one glacier's mass balance (Chhota Shigri Glacier) is most sensitive to precipitation perturbations in winter. Glaciers with high mass turnover and high summer-precipitation ratio are more sensitive to temperature perturbations. Sensitivity experiments reveal that besides the non-linearity of mass-balance temperature sensitivity, mass-balance precipitation sensitivity is non-linear as well. Furthermore, resolving the diurnal cycle of albedo, (re)freezing and the differentiation between liquid and solid precipitation are important to assess climate sensitivity of glaciers in HMA. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-afa0ccd8b3434e889661b2c35e63b51e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Glaciology |
| spelling | doaj-art-afa0ccd8b3434e889661b2c35e63b51e2024-12-11T10:15:39ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Glaciology0022-14301727-56522023-12-01691616163310.1017/jog.2023.46Spatial pattern of glacier mass balance sensitivity to atmospheric forcing in High Mountain AsiaAnselm Arndt0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6377-2954Christoph Schneider1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9914-3217Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Geography Department, 10099 Berlin, GermanyHumboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Geography Department, 10099 Berlin, GermanyThe complex topography and size of High Mountain Asia (HMA) result in large differences in glacier mass-balance variability and climate sensitivity. Current understanding of these sensitivities is limited by simplifications in past studies’ model structure. This study overcomes this limitation by using a mass-balance model to investigate the climatic mass-balance variability and climate sensitivity of 16 glaciers covering major mountain ranges in HMA. Generally, glaciers in the southeast have higher mass turnover while glaciers at the margins of HMA show higher interannual mass-balance variability. All glaciers are most sensitive to temperature perturbations in summer. The climatic mass balance of 15 glaciers is most sensitive to precipitation perturbations in summer or spring and summer, even if the seasonal accumulation peak is not in summer. Only one glacier's mass balance (Chhota Shigri Glacier) is most sensitive to precipitation perturbations in winter. Glaciers with high mass turnover and high summer-precipitation ratio are more sensitive to temperature perturbations. Sensitivity experiments reveal that besides the non-linearity of mass-balance temperature sensitivity, mass-balance precipitation sensitivity is non-linear as well. Furthermore, resolving the diurnal cycle of albedo, (re)freezing and the differentiation between liquid and solid precipitation are important to assess climate sensitivity of glaciers in HMA.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143023000461/type/journal_articleGlacier mass balanceGlacier modellingIce/atmosphere interactions |
| spellingShingle | Anselm Arndt Christoph Schneider Spatial pattern of glacier mass balance sensitivity to atmospheric forcing in High Mountain Asia Journal of Glaciology Glacier mass balance Glacier modelling Ice/atmosphere interactions |
| title | Spatial pattern of glacier mass balance sensitivity to atmospheric forcing in High Mountain Asia |
| title_full | Spatial pattern of glacier mass balance sensitivity to atmospheric forcing in High Mountain Asia |
| title_fullStr | Spatial pattern of glacier mass balance sensitivity to atmospheric forcing in High Mountain Asia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatial pattern of glacier mass balance sensitivity to atmospheric forcing in High Mountain Asia |
| title_short | Spatial pattern of glacier mass balance sensitivity to atmospheric forcing in High Mountain Asia |
| title_sort | spatial pattern of glacier mass balance sensitivity to atmospheric forcing in high mountain asia |
| topic | Glacier mass balance Glacier modelling Ice/atmosphere interactions |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143023000461/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT anselmarndt spatialpatternofglaciermassbalancesensitivitytoatmosphericforcinginhighmountainasia AT christophschneider spatialpatternofglaciermassbalancesensitivitytoatmosphericforcinginhighmountainasia |