21st-century increase in glacier mass loss in the Wrangell Mountains, Alaska, USA, from airborne laser altimetry and satellite stereo imagery

Das, I.; Hock, Regine; Berthier, Étienne; Lingle, Craig S.

doi:10.3189/2014jog13j119

Cited by 28 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 42 publications

(79 reference statements)

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“…This association of thinning, retreat, and acceleration at these particular glaciers suggests that dynamic changes are tied to variations in mass loss from marineterminating glaciers on the Stikine Icefield, particular near the fronts of these glaciers Several previous studies have noted that the largest error on the mass loss inferred from LIDAR studies is the extrapolation from limited observations to the entire area (e.g., Das et al, 2014) and the need for more complete sampling (e.g., Larsen et al, 2015). Our work confirms that at least over the Stikine Icefield, the expanded and continued LIDAR acquisitions and stereo-imaging over the glaciers that were not included in Larsen et al (2015) is essential for a complete picture of the mass loss.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stikine Icefield Mass Loss between 2000 and 2013/2014

Melkonian¹,

Willis

Pritchard

2016

Front. Earth Sci.

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We calculate thinning rates ( dh ) at the 5800 km 2 Stikine Icefield of southeast dt Alaska from stacked digital elevation models (DEMs) acquired between 2000 and 2013/2014, and glacier velocities between 1985 and 2014 from feature tracking on optical image pairs. We find a mass change rate of −3.3 ± 1.1 Gt yr −1 between 2000 and 2014, equivalent to an area-averaged elevation change rate of −0.57 ± 0.18 m w.e. yr −1 . In 2014, land-terminating glaciers are 50% of the Stikine Icefield's glaciated area and contribute −0.9 ± 0.4 Gt yr −1 of mass change (27% of the total), while marine-terminating glaciers are only 30% of the total glaciated area, but contribute 1.5−1 − ± 0.3 Gt yr (or 45% of total mass change, with the remaining mass loss from lacustrine-terminating glaciers). We estimate the frontal ablation flux between 2000 and 2014 at the four largest marine-terminating glaciers on the Stikine Icefield (covering 90-95% of the marine-terminating glaciated area) using our glacier velocities and maps of fjord bathymetry to estimate terminus cross sections and glacier thicknesses. The combined 2014 frontal ablation flux of these four glaciers is 1.18 ± 0.14 Gt yr −1 , which may account for the difference in average mass loss between marine-and land-terminating glaciers on the Stikine Icefield. The Stikine and adjacent Juneau Icefields have very different mass loss contributions from marine-terminating glaciers (45% vs. effectively 0%), but both have area-averaged elevation change rates that are less negative than Alaska-wide estimates, which is surprising for these southernmost icefields in Alaska.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stikine Icefield Mass Loss between 2000 and 2013/2014

Melkonian¹,

Willis

Pritchard

2016

Front. Earth Sci.

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“…In that study, calibration and evaluation of the model were performed using observations of runoff from USGS stream gauges, satellite-based observations of ET (MOD16) [24] snow extent (MOD10CM) [23], and GRACE-derived estimates of total storage change, and by comparing glacier mass balance change to values reported in the scientific literature by Larsen et al [42], Arendt et al and Das et al [43]. In the present study, the additional evaluation of the first 11 years of simulations to observed runoff and GRACE storage was also successful.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrologic Regime Changes in a High-Latitude Glacierized Watershed under Future Climate Conditions

Valentin

Hogue

Hay

2018

Water

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A calibrated conceptual glacio-hydrological monthly water balance model (MWBMglacier) was used to evaluate future changes in water partitioning in a high-latitude glacierized watershed in Southcentral Alaska under future climate conditions. The MWBMglacier was previously calibrated and evaluated against streamflow measurements, literature values of glacier mass balance change, and satellite-based observations of snow covered area, evapotranspiration, and total water storage. Output from five global climate models representing two future climate scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) was used with the previously calibrated parameters to drive the MWBMglacier at 2 km spatial resolution. Relative to the historical period 1949-2009, precipitation will increase and air temperature in the mountains will be above freezing for an additional two months per year by mid-century which significantly impacts snow/rain partitioning and the generation of meltwater from snow and glaciers. Analysis of the period 1949-2099 reveals that numerous hydrologic regime shifts already occurred or are projected to occur in the study area including glacier accumulation area, snow covered area, and forest vulnerability. By the end of the century, Copper River discharge is projected to increase by 48%, driven by 21% more precipitation and 53% more glacial melt water (RCP 8.5) relative to the historical period .

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“…Kääb, 2008;Nuth and Kääb, 2011;Das et al, 2014). To estimate the recent mass balance for TNIC, we used a DEM (product AST14DMO) generated from an ASTER stereo pair acquired on 3 August 2007.…”

Section: Aster Demmentioning

confidence: 99%

Area, elevation and mass changes of the two southernmost ice caps of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago between 1952 and 2014

et al. 2015

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Abstract. Grinnell and Terra Nivea Ice Caps are located on the southern Baffin Island, Nunavut, in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. These relatively small ice caps have received little attention compared to the much larger ice masses further north. Their evolution can, however, give valuable information about the impact of the recent Arctic warming at lower latitudes (i.e. ~ 62.5° N). In this paper, we measure or estimate historical and recent changes of area, elevation and mass of both ice caps using in situ, airborne and spaceborne data sets, including imagery from the Pléiades satellites. The area of Terra Nivea Ice Cap has decreased by 34 % since the late 1950s, while that of Grinnell Ice Cap has decreased by 20 % since 1952. For both ice caps, the areal reduction accelerated at the beginning of the 21st century. The estimated glacier-wide mass balance was −0.37 ± 0.21 m a−1 water equivalent (w.e.) over Grinnell Ice Cap for the 1952–2014 period, and −0.47 ± 0.16 m a−1 w.e. over Terra Nivea Ice Cap for the 1958/59–2014 period. Terra Nivea Ice Cap has experienced an accelerated rate of mass loss of −1.77 ± 0.36 m a−1 w.e. between 2007 and 2014. This rate is 5.9 times as negative when compared to the 1958/59–2007 period (−0.30 ± 0.19 m a−1 w.e.) and 2 times as negative when compared to the mass balance of other glaciers in the southern parts of Baffin Island over the 2003–2009 period. A similar acceleration in mass loss is suspected for the Grinnell Ice Cap, given the calculated elevation changes and the proximity to Terra Nivea Ice Cap. The recent increase in mass loss rates for these two ice caps is linked to a strong near-surface regional warming and a lengthening of the melt season into the autumn that may be indirectly strengthened by a later freezing of sea ice in the Hudson Strait sector. On a methodological level, our study illustrates the strong potential of Pléiades satellite data to unlock the under-exploited archive of old aerial photographs.

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21st-century increase in glacier mass loss in the Wrangell Mountains, Alaska, USA, from airborne laser altimetry and satellite stereo imagery

Cited by 28 publications

References 42 publications

Stikine Icefield Mass Loss between 2000 and 2013/2014

Stikine Icefield Mass Loss between 2000 and 2013/2014

Hydrologic Regime Changes in a High-Latitude Glacierized Watershed under Future Climate Conditions

Area, elevation and mass changes of the two southernmost ice caps of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago between 1952 and 2014

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