Abstract
A modeling system for investigating meteorological controls on glacier mass balance is described and applied to the Southern Patagonian Icefield. Output from a mesoscale atmospheric model is used to drive a glacier mass balance model using model precipitation and turbulent fluxes adjusted to account for the unrealistically low surface elevations of the icefield in the atmospheric model. Simulations of January and July conditionsproduce glacier equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs) that are higher than the observed, but the ELA gradient is realistically simulated. The high ELAs are primarily due to underestimates of vertical temperature gradients in the atmospheric model and uncertainties in the ablation season length. The model shows that both winter and summerprecipitation, as well as summer temperatures, are important determinants of the mass balance of the Southern Patagonia glaciers. The position of the icefield on the continent is also relevant. On the western side of the icefield, precipitation rates are high and dominate the mass balance calculation. In the east, ablation is much more important for determining the mass balance, and this introduces an enhanced sensitivity to atmospheric temperature, wind speed, and atmosphericmoisture levels.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ageta, Y. and Higuchi, K.: 1984, ‘Estimation of Mass Balance Components of a Summeraccumulation Type Glacier in the Nepal Himalaya’, Geografiska Annaler 66A, 249–255.
Aniya, M.: 1999, ‘Recent Glacier Variations of the Hielos Patagonicos, South America, and their Contribution to Sea-level Change’, Arct. Antarc. Alp. Res. 31, 165–173.
Aniya, M. and Skvarca, P.: 1992, ‘Characteristics and Variations of Upsala and Moreno Glaciers, Southern Patagonia’, Bull. Glacier Res. 10, 39–53.
Bitz, C. M. and Battisti, D. S.: 1999, ‘Interannual to Decadal Variability in Climate and the Glacier Mass Balance in Washington, Western Canada, and Alaska’, J. Climate 12, 3181–3196.
Blackadar, A. K.: 1979, ‘High Resolution Models of the Planetary Boundary Layer’, in Pfafflin and Ziegler (eds.), Adv. Environ. Sci. Eng. 1, Gordon and Briech Sci. Publ., New York, pp. 50–85.
Boville, B. A. and Gent, P. R.: 1998, ‘The NCAR Climate System Model, Version One’, J. Climate 11, 1115–1130.
Casassa, G.: 1995, ‘Glacier Inventory in Chile: Current Status and Recent Glacier Variations’, Ann. Glaciol. 21, 317–322.
Dilley, E. L., 1970: ‘On the Computer Calculation of Vapour Pressure and Specific Humidity Gradients’, J. Appl. Meteorol. 7, 717–719.
Fujiyoshi, Y., Kondo, H., Inoue, J., and Yamada, T.: 1987, ‘Characteristics of Precipitation and Vertical Structure of Air Temperature in the [sic] Northern Patagonia’, Bull. Glacier Res. 4, 15–23.
Gibson, J. K., Kallberg P., Uppala S., Hernandez A., Nomura, A., and Serrano, E.: 1997, ECMWF Reanalysis Project Report Series: 1. ERA Description, p. 72.
Giorgi, F., Marinucci, M. R., and Bates, G. T.: 1993, ‘Development of a Second-generation Regional ClimateModel (RegCM2). Part I: Boundary Layer and Radiative Transfer Processes’, Mon. Wea. Rev. 121, 2794–2813.
Grell, G. A.: 1993, ‘Prognostic Evaluation of Assumptions Used by Cumulus Parameterizations’, Mon. Wea. Rev. 121, 764–787.
Grell, G. A., Dudhia, J., and Stauffer, D. R.: 1994, A Description of the Fifth-Generation Penn State/ NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5), NCAR Technical Note TN-398 + STR, p. 121.
Greuell, W. and Oerlemans, J.: 1986, ‘Sensitivity Studies with a Mass Balance Model Including Temperature Profile Calculations Inside the Glacier’, Z. Gletscherk. Glazialgeol. 22, 101–124.
Hodge, S. M., Trabant, D. C., Krimmel, R. M., Heinrichs, T. A., March, R. S., and Josberger, E. G.: 1998, ‘Climate Variations and Changes in Mass of Three Glaciers in Western North America’, J. Climate 11, 2161–2179.
Kobayashi, S. and Sato, T.: 1985, ‘Meteorological Observations on Soler Glacier’, in Glaciological Studies in Patagonia Northern Icefield 1983–1984, Data Center for Glacier Research, Japanese Society for Snow and Ice, Nagoya, Japan, pp. 46–51.
Koizumi, K. and Naruse, R.: 1992, ‘Measurements of Meteorological Conditions and Ablation at Tyndall Glacier, Southern Patagonia, in December 1990’, Bull. Glacier Res. 10, 79–82.
Legates, D. R. and Willmott, C. J.: 1990, ‘Mean Seasonal and Spatial Variability in Gauge-corrected, Global Precipitation’, Int. J. Climatol. 10, 111–127.
Letréguilly, A.: 1988, ‘Relation between the Mass Balance of Western Canadian Mountain Glaciers and Meteorological Data’, J. Glaciol. 34, 11–18.
Martin, S.: 1977, ‘Analysis and Reconstitution of Glacier de Sarennes Mass Balances; their Relation with Glacier Variations of Massif du Mont-Blanc (Bossons, Argentiere, Mer de Glace)’; (in French), Z. Gletscherk. Glazialgeol. 13, 127–153.
Meier, M. F.: 1984, ‘Contribution of Small Glaciers to Global Sea Level’, Science 226, 1418–1420.
Munro, D. S.: 1991, ‘A Surface Energy Exchange Model of Glacier Melt and Net Mass Balance’, Int. J. Climatol. 11, 689–700.
Oerlemans, J.: 1991, ‘A Model for Surface Balance of Ice Masses: Part 1: Alpine Glaciers’, Z. Gletscherk. Glazialgeol. 27, 63–83.
Oerlemans, J. and Hoogendoorn, N. C.: 1989, ‘Mass-balance Gradients and Climatic Change’, J. Glaciol. 35, 399–405.
Oerlemans, J. and Knap, W. H.: 1998, ‘A 1-year Record of Global Radiation and Albedo in the Ablation Zone of Morteratschgletscher, Switzerland’, J. Glaciol. 44, 231–238.
Paterson, W. S. B.: 1994, The Physics of Glaciers, 3rd edn., Elsevier Science Ltd., Oxford, England, p. 480.
Peña, H. and Escobar, F.: 1987, ‘Aspects of Glacial Hydrology in Patagonia’, Bull. Glacier Res. 4, 141–150.
Pluss, C. and Mazzoni, R.: 1994, ‘The Role of Turbulent Heat Fluxes in the Energy Balance of High Alpine Snow Cover’, Nordic Hydrol. 25, 25–38.
Rivera, A. and Casassa, G.: 1999, ‘Volume Changes on Pio XI Glacier, Patagonia: 1975–1995’, Global Plan. Change 22, 233–244.
Seluchi, M., Serafini, Y. V., and Le Treut, H.: 1998, ‘The Impact of the Andes on Transient Atmospheric Systems: A Comparison between Observations and GCM Results’, Mon. Wea. Rev. 126, 895–912.
Takeuchi, Y., Naruse, R., and Satow, K.: 1995, ‘Meteorological Features at Moreno and Tyndall Glaciers, Patagonia, in the Summer 1993/94’, Bull. Glacier Res. 13, 25–44.
Takeuchi Y., Naruse, R., Satow, K., and Ishikawa, N.: 1999, ‘Comparison of Heat Balance Characteristics at Five Glaciers in the Southern Hemisphere’, Global Plan. Change 22, 201–208.
van deWal, R. S.W. and Wold, M.: 2001, ‘Modeling the Response of Glaciers to Climate Change by Applying Volume-area Scaling in Combination with a High Resolution GCM’, Clim. Dyn. 18, 359–366.
Vincent, C. and Vallon, M.: 1997, ‘Meteorological Controls on Glacier Mass Balance: Empirical Relations Suggested by Measurements on Glacier de Sarennes, France’, J. Glaciol. 43, 131–137.
Warren, C. R. and Sugden, D. F.: 1993, ‘The Patagonian Icefields: A Glaciological Review’, Arc. Alp. Res. 25, 316–331.
Xie, Z., Han, H. J., Liu, C., and Liu, S.: 1999, ‘Measurement and Estimative Models of Glacier Mass Balance in China’, Geografiska Annaler 81A, 791–796.
Zuo, Z. and Oerlemans, J.: 1997, ‘Contribution of Glacier Melt to Sea-level Rise since AD 1865: A Regionally Differentiated Calculation’, Clim. Dyn. 13, 835–845.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cook, K.H., Yang, X., Carter, C.M. et al. A Modeling System for Studying Climate Controls on Mountain Glaciers with Application to the Patagonian Icefields. Climatic Change 56, 339–367 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021772504938
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021772504938