Langfjordjøkelen, a rapidly shrinking glacier in northern Norway

Andreassen, Liss M.; Kjøllmoen, Bjarne; Rasmussen, A.; Melvold, Kjetil; Nordli, Øyvind

doi:10.3189/2012jog11j014

Cited by 35 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 52 publications

(70 reference statements)

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“…5b). This is in line with in situ observations from the only NVE-monitored ice cap in this area, Langfjordjøkelen (Glacier region 2), which shows a strongly negative mass balance and area reduction over the last few decades (Andreassen et al, 2012a). The trend of retreating glaciers has also been seen on Svalbard, north of mainland Norway.…”

Section: Glacier Area Changessupporting

confidence: 70%

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Glacier area and length changes in Norway from repeat inventories

2014

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Abstract. In this study, we assess glacier area and length changes in mainland Norway from repeat Landsat TM/ETM+-derived inventories and digitized topographic maps. The multi-temporal glacier inventory consists of glacier outlines from three time ranges: 1947 to 1985 (GI n50 ), 1988 to 1997 (GI 1990), and 1999 to 2006 (GI 2000. For the northernmost regions, we include an additional inventory (GI 1900 ) based on historic maps surveyed between 1895 and 1907. Area and length changes are assessed per glacier unit, 36 subregions, and for three main parts of Norway: southern, central, and northern. The results show a decrease in the glacierized area from 2994 km 2 in GI n50 to 2668 km 2 in GI 2000 (total 2722 glacier units), corresponding to an area reduction of −326 km 2 , or −11 % of the initial GI n50 area. The average length change for the full epoch (within GI n50 and GI 2000 ) is −240 m. Overall, the comparison reveals both area and length reductions as general patterns, even though some glaciers have advanced. The three northernmost subregions show the highest retreat rates, whereas the central part of Norway shows the lowest change rates. Glacier area and length changes indicate that glaciers in maritime areas in southern Norway have retreated more than glaciers in the interior, and glaciers in the north have retreated more than southern glaciers. These observed spatial trends in glacier change are related to a combination of several factors such as glacier geometry, elevation, and continentality, especially in southern Norway.

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Section: Glacier Area Changessupporting

confidence: 70%

“…Strong thinning and retreat has been revealed for Langfjordjøkelen, one of the five ice caps, over the period 1966(Andreassen et al, 2012a. In total, the five ice caps have decreased in area from 139 to 65 km 2 from the 1900s to 2006 (Fig.…”

Section: Glacier Change Since the Beginning Of The 1900smentioning

confidence: 98%

Glacier area and length changes in Norway from repeat inventories

2014

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“…Our approach can be readily applied to construct time series of transient regional snow line elevations and regional was recently found for a site in northern Norway (Andreassen et al, 2012), while an overall geodetic balance of −1.0 m w.e. a −1 was estimated for the Patagonian Icefield (Rignot et al, 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An approach to derive regional snow lines and glacier mass change from MODIS imagery, western North America

et al. 2013

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Abstract. We describe a method to calculate regional snow line elevations and annual equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs) from daily MODIS imagery (MOD02QKM) on large glaciers and icefields in western North America. An automated cluster analysis of the cloud-masked visible and near-infrared bands at 250 m resolution is used to delineate glacier facies (snow and ice) for ten glacierized regions between 2000-2011. For each region and season, the maximum observed value of the 20th percentile of snowcovered pixels (Z S(20) ) is used to define a regional ELA proxy (ELA est ). Our results indicate significant increases in the regional ELA proxy at two continental sites (Peyto Glacier and Gulkana Glacier) over the period of observation, though no statistically significant trends are identified at other sites. To evaluate the utility of regional ELA proxies derived from MOD02QKM imagery, we compare standard geodetic estimates of glacier mass change with estimates derived from historical mass balance gradients and observations of Z S(20) at three large icefields. Our approach yields estimates of mass change that more negative than traditional geodetic approaches, though MODIS-derived estimates are within the margins of error at all three sites. Both estimates of glacier mass change corroborate the continued mass loss of glaciers in western North America. Between 2000 and 2009, the geodetic change approach yields mean annual rates of surface elevation change for the Columbia, Lillooet, and Sittakanay icefields of −0.29 ± 0.05, −0.26 ± 0.05, and −0.63 ± 0.17 m a −1 , respectively. This study provides a new technique for glacier facies detection at daily timescales, and contributes to the development of regional estimates of glacier mass change, both of which are critical for studies of glacier contributions to streamflow and global sea level rise.

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“…Digital stereo-photogrammetry DEMs over a Swiss glacier, constrained with 50 permanent geodetic points, were reported to have an accuracy of < 0.3 m, though no accuracy assessment was demonstrated (Kropáček, Neckel, & Bauder, 2014). Analyses of DEMs from aerial photographs over a Norwegian glacier reported uncertainties on the order of 2 m (Andreassen, Kjøllmoen, Rasmussen, Melvold, & Nordli, 2012). Aerial photograph surveys as a basis for DEM generation are therefore known to introduce metre scale uncertainties where rigorous geodetic controls are absent.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A DEM of the 2010 surface topography of Storglaciären, Sweden

Mercer

2016

Journal of Maps

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During the summer of 2010 the surface elevation of Storglaciären in northern Sweden was measured using high-precision GNSS and reflectorless Total Station surveys. The DEM created from these data contain less noise than those created from orthophotographic methods over snow covered glaciers and is therefore smoother, with fewer erroneous features in the data. The principal, though not sole, intended use for the DEM is in the calculation of surface mass balance, which has influenced decisions on what constitutes a functional part of a glacier, leading to the exclusion of features such as snow aprons and perennial ice above the bergschrund. Other peripheral features have changed since the previous, aerial survey from 1999 leading to a reduction in size of approximately 0.17 km 2 .ARTICLE HISTORY

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Langfjordjøkelen, a rapidly shrinking glacier in northern Norway

Cited by 35 publications

References 52 publications

Glacier area and length changes in Norway from repeat inventories

Glacier area and length changes in Norway from repeat inventories

An approach to derive regional snow lines and glacier mass change from MODIS imagery, western North America

A DEM of the 2010 surface topography of Storglaciären, Sweden

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