Glacier mass changes are a valuable indicator of climate variability and monsoon oscillation on the underexplored Tibetan Plateau. In this study data from the Ice Cloud and Elevation Satellite (ICESat) is employed to estimate elevation and mass changes of glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau between 2003 and 2009. In order to get a representative sample size of ICESat measurements, glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau were grouped into eight climatically homogeneous sub-regions. Most negative mass budgets of −0.77 ± 0.35 m w.e. a −1 were found for the Qilian Mountains and eastern Kunlun Mountains while a mass gain of +0.37 ± 0.25 m w.e. a −1 was found in the westerly-dominated north-central part of the Tibetan Plateau. A total annual mass budget of −15.6 ± 10.1 Gt a −1 was estimated for the eight sub-regions sufficiently covered by ICESat data which represents ∼80% of the glacier area on the Tibetan Plateau. 13.9 ± 8.9 Gt a −1 (or 0.04 ± 0.02 mm a −1 sea-level equivalent) of the total mass budget contributed 'directly' to the global sea-level rise while 1.7 ± 1.9 Gt a −1 drained into endorheic basins on the plateau.

Knowledge about the long-term response of High Mountain Asian glaciers to climatic variations is paramount because of their important role in sustaining Asian river flow. Here, a satellite-based time series of glacier mass balance for seven climatically different regions across High Mountain Asia since the 1960s shows that glacier mass loss rates have persistently increased at most sites. Regional glacier mass budgets ranged from −0.40 ± 0.07 m w.e.a−1 in Central and Northern Tien Shan to −0.06 ± 0.07 m w.e.a−1 in Eastern Pamir, with considerable temporal and spatial variability. Highest rates of mass loss occurred in Central Himalaya and Northern Tien Shan after 2015 and even in regions where glaciers were previously in balance with climate, such as Eastern Pamir, mass losses prevailed in recent years. An increase in summer temperature explains the long-term trend in mass loss and now appears to drive mass loss even in regions formerly sensitive to both temperature and precipitation.

Ice-shelf channels are long curvilinear tracts of thin ice found on Antarctic ice shelves. Many of them originate near the grounding line, but their formation mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we use ice-penetrating radar data from Roi Baudouin Ice Shelf, East Antarctica, to infer that the morphology of several ice-shelf channels is seeded upstream of the grounding line by large basal obstacles indenting the ice from below. We interpret each obstacle as an esker ridge formed from sediments deposited by subglacial water conduits, and calculate that the eskers' size grows towards the grounding line where deposition rates are maximum. Relict features on the shelf indicate that these linked systems of subglacial conduits and ice-shelf channels have been changing over the past few centuries. Because ice-shelf channels are loci where intense melting occurs to thin an ice shelf, these findings expose a novel link between subglacial drainage, sedimentation and ice-shelf stability.

Abstract. Due to their remoteness, altitude and harsh climatic conditions, little is known about the glaciological parameters of ice caps on the Tibetan Plateau. This study presents a geodetic mass balance estimate of the Purogangri Ice Cap, Tibet's largest ice field between 2000 and 2012. We utilized data from the actual TerraSAR-X mission and its add-on for digital elevation measurements and compared it with elevation data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. The employed data sets are ideal for this approach as both data sets were acquired at X-band at nearly the same time of the year and are available at a fine grid spacing. In order to derive surface elevation changes we employed two different methods. The first method is based on differential synthetic radar interferometry while the second method uses common DEM differencing. Both approaches revealed a slightly negative mass budget of −44 ± 15 and −38 ± 23 mm w.eq. a −1 (millimeter water equivalent) respectively. A slightly negative trend of −0.15 ± 0.01 km 2 a −1 in glacier extent was found for the same time period employing a time series of Landsat data. Overall, our results show an almost balanced mass budget for the studied time period. Additionally, we detected one continuously advancing glacier tongue in the eastern part of the ice cap.

). Analysis of the model-derived SEB/MB components reveals that a significant amount of snowfall in spring is responsible for high surface albedo throughout the year. Thus, the average surface energy loss through net longwave radiation is larger than the energy gain through net shortwave radiation. The dry continental climate favours mass loss through sublimation, which accounts for 66% of the total mass loss.

Recent large-scale remote sensing studies have shown that glacier mass loss in southeastern Tibet, specifically in the eastern Nyainqêntanglha Range exceeds the average in High Asia. However, detailed studies at individual glaciers are scarce and the drivers behind the observed rapid changes are poorly constrained to date. Employing feature tracking techniques on TerraSAR-X data for the periods 2008/2009, 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 we found measurable surface velocities through to the glacier terminus positions of five debris-covered glacier tongues. This is contrary to debris-covered glaciers in other parts of High Asia, where stagnant glacier tongues are common. Our feature tracking results for the 2013/2014 period suggest an average deceleration of 51% when compared with published Landsat velocities for the period 1999/2003. Further, we estimated surface elevation changes for the five glaciers from recently released one arc second resolution elevation data obtained during the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission in 2000 and an interferometrical derived TanDEM-X elevation model for the year 2014. With an average rate of-0.83±0.57 m a −1 we confirm strong surface lowering in the region, despite the widely discussed insulation effect of debris cover. Beside the influence of thermokarst processes and delayed response times of debris-covered glaciers, we highlight that abundant monsoonal summer rainfall might contribute significantly to the pronounced negative mass balances

This study assesses the response on ice dynamics of Petermann Glacier, a major outlet glacier in northern Greenland, to the 2012 and a possible future calving event. So far Petermann Glacier has been believed to be dynamically stable as another large calving event in 2010 had no significant impact on flow velocity or grounding line retreat. By analyzing a time series of remotely sensed surface velocities, we find an average acceleration of 10% between winter 2011/2012 and winter 2016/2017. This increase in surface velocity is not linear but can be separated into two parts, starting in 2012 and 2016 respectively. By conducting modeling experiments, we show that the first speedup can be directly connected to the 2012 calving event, while the second speedup is not captured. However, on recent remote sensing imagery newly developing fractures are clearly visible ∼12 km upstream from the terminus, propagating from the eastern fjord wall to the center of the ice tongue, indicating a possible future calving event. By including these fracture zones as a new terminus position in the modeling domain, we are able to reproduce the second speedup, suggesting that surface velocities remain on the 2016/2017 level after the anticipated calving event. This indicates that, from a dynamical point of view, the terminus region has already detached from the main ice tongue.

Due to their remoteness, altitude and harsh climatic conditions, little is known about the glaciological parameters of ice caps on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). This study presents an interferometrical approach aiming at surface elevation changes of Purogangri ice cap, located on the central TP. Purogangri ice cap covers an area of 397 ± 9.7 km² and is the largest ice cap on the TP. Its behavior is determined by dry and cold continental climate suggesting a polar-type glacier regime. We employed data from the actual TerraSAR-X mission and its add-on for Digital Elevation Measurements (TanDEM-X) and compare it with elevation data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). These datasets are ideal for this approach as both datasets feature the same wavelength of 3.1 cm and are available at a fine grid spacing. Similar snow conditions can be assumed since the data were acquired in early February 2000 and late January 2012. The trend in glacier extend was extracted using a time series of Landsat data. Our results show a balanced mass budget for the studied time period which is in agreement with previous studies. Additionally, we detected an exceptional fast advance of one glacier tongue in the eastern part of the ice cap between 1999 and 2011