Seasonal and annual mass balances of Mera and Pokalde glaciers (Nepal Himalaya) since 2007

Wagnon, Patrick; Vincent, Christian; Arnaud, Yves; Berthier, Étienne; Vuillermoz, E.; Gruber, Stephan; Ménégoz, Martin; Gilbert, Adrien; Dumont, Marie; Shea, J. M.; Stumm, D.; Pokhrel, Bijay

doi:10.5194/tc-7-1769-2013

Cited by 158 publications

(210 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Details about Changri Nup, Mera and Pokalde glaciers are presented in Table 1. Additional details of the latter two glaciers are available in Wagnon and others (2013).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In MB calculations, ice density was assumed to be 900 kg m −3 and in the presence of snow, its density is taken equal to the mean value (370 kg m −3 ) of snow densities measured on Mera Glacier below 5600 m a.s.l. (Wagnon and others, 2013). Since this debris-covered area of the Changri Nup Glacier is only 3.3% of the total area (Fig.…”

Section: Meteorological Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1; Table 1). They are summer-accumulation glaciers and influenced by the Indian monsoon (Ageta and Higuchi, 1984;Wagnon and others, 2013).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Measurements have been performed at least twice but up to six times a year depending on the weather conditions and access to the glacier. Annual MB values were calculated from the measurements from a postmonsoon (generally October-November or sometimes beginning of December) to the post-monsoon of the following year, consistent with other in situ glacier MB series from the Everest region (Wagnon and others, 2013).…”

Section: Meteorological Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A special focus will be directed to the West Changri Nup Glacier whose measuring network is described for the first time. In addition, new data are presented from the Mera and Pokalde glaciers for 2012-15 to extend the MB time series previously reported until 2012 by Wagnon and others (2013). We will also compare glacier-wide glaciological MB of West Changri Nup Glacier with geodetic MBs derived from satellite DEMs so as to identify possible biases.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contrasted surface mass balances of debris-free glaciers observed between the southern and the inner parts of the Everest region (2007–15)

et al. 2017

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ABSTRACT. Three debris-free glaciers with strongly differing annual glaciological glacier-wide mass balances (MBs) are monitored in the Everest region (central Himalaya, Nepal). The mass budget of Mera Glacier (5.1 km 2 in 2012), located in the southern part of this region, was balanced during 2007-15, whereas Pokalde (0.1 km 2 in 2011) and West Changri Nup glaciers (0.9 km 2 in 2013), ∼30 km further north, have been losing mass rapidly with annual glacier-wide MBs of −0.69 ± 0.28 m w.e. a −1 (2009-15) and −1.24 ± 0.27 m w.e. a −1 (2010-15), respectively. An analysis of high-elevation meteorological variables reveals that these glaciers are sensitive to precipitation, and to occasional severe cyclonic storms originating from the Bay of Bengal. We observe a negative horizontal gradient of annual precipitation in south-to-north direction across the range (≤−21 mm km −1 , i.e. −2% km −1 ). This contrasted mass-balance pattern over rather short distances is related (i) to the low maximum elevation of Pokalde and West Changri Nup glaciers, resulting in years where their accumulation area ratio is reduced to zero and (ii) to a steeper vertical gradient of MB for glaciers located in the inner arid part of the range.

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“…Details about Changri Nup, Mera and Pokalde glaciers are presented in Table 1. Additional details of the latter two glaciers are available in Wagnon and others (2013).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Meteorological Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1; Table 1). They are summer-accumulation glaciers and influenced by the Indian monsoon (Ageta and Higuchi, 1984;Wagnon and others, 2013).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Meteorological Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contrasted surface mass balances of debris-free glaciers observed between the southern and the inner parts of the Everest region (2007–15)

et al. 2017

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Modelling the hydrological response of debris‐free and debris‐covered glaciers to present climatic conditions in the semiarid Andes of central Chile

Ayala

Pellicciotti

MacDonell

et al. 2016

Hydrological Processes

106

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We apply the process-based, distributed TOPKAPI-ETH glacio-hydrological model to a glacierized catchment (19% glacierized) in the semiarid Andes of central Chile. The semiarid Andes provides vital freshwater resources to valleys in Chile and Argentina, but only few glacio-hydrological modelling studies have been conducted, and its dominant hydrological processes remain poorly understood. The catchment contains two debris-free glaciers reaching down to 3900m asl (Bello and Yeso glaciers) and one debris-covered avalanche-fed glacier reaching to 3200m asl (Piramide Glacier). Our main objective is to compare the mass balance and runoff contributions of both glacier types under current climatic conditions. We use a unique dataset of field measurements collected over two ablation seasons combined with the distributed TOPKAPI-ETH model that includes physically oriented parameterizations of snow and ice ablation, gravitational distribution of snow, snow albedo evolution and the ablation of debris-covered ice. Model outputs indicate that while the mass balance of Bello and Yeso glaciers is mostly explained by temperature gradients, the Piramide Glacier mass balance is governed by debris thickness and avalanches and has a clear nonlinear profile with elevation as a result. Despite the thermal insulation effect of the debris cover, the mass balance and contribution to runoff from debris-free and debris-covered glaciers are similar in magnitude, mainly because of elevation differences. However, runoff contributions are distinct in time and seasonality with ice melt starting approximately four weeks earlier from the debris-covered glacier, what is of relevance for water resources management. At the catchment scale, snowmelt is the dominant contributor to runoff during both years. However, during the driest year of our simulations, ice melt contributes 42 +/- 8% and 67 +/- 6% of the annual and summer runoff, respectively. Sensitivity analyses show that runoff is most sensitive to temperature and precipitation gradients, melt factors and debris cover thicknessBecas Chile scholarship program FONDECYT Initiation into Investigation 11130484 FONDECYT 1121184 Chilean Water Authority (Direccion General de Aguas, DGA

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Assessment of spatial transferability of process‐based hydrological model parameters in two neighbouring catchments in the Himalayan Region

Nepal

Flügel

Krause³

et al. 2017

Hydrological Processes

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Estimating the hydrological regime of ungauged catchments in the Himalayan region is challenging due to a lack of sufficient monitoring stations. In this paper, the spatial transferability of the model parameters of the process‐oriented J2000 hydrological model was investigated in 2 glaciated subcatchments of the Koshi river basin in eastern Nepal. The catchments have a high degree of similarity with respect to their static landscape features. The model was first calibrated (1986–1991) and validated (1992–1997) in the Dudh Koshi subcatchment. The calibrated and validated model parameters were then transferred to the nearby Tamor catchment (2001–2009). Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses were carried out for both subcatchments to discover the sensitivity range of the parameters in the two catchments. The model represented the overall hydrograph well in both subcatchments, including baseflow, rising and falling limbs; however, the peak flows were underestimated. The efficiency results according to both Nash–Sutcliffe (ENS) and the coefficient of determination (r2) were above 0.84 in both catchments (1986–1997 in Dudh Koshi and 2001–2009 in Tamor). The ranking of the parameters in respect to their sensitivity matched well for both catchments while taking ENS and log Nash–Sutcliffe (LNS) efficiencies into account. However, there were some differences in sensitivity to ENS and LNS for moderately and less‐sensitive parameters, although the majority (13 out of 16 for ENS and 16 out of 16 for LNS) had a sensitivity response in a similar range. The generalized uncertainty likelihood estimation results suggest that the parameter uncertainty are most of the time within the range and the ensemble mean matches very good (ENS: 0.84) with observed discharge. The results indicate that transfer of the J2000 parameters to a neighbouring catchment in the Himalayan region with similar physiographic landscape characteristics is viable. This indicates the possibility of applying a calibrated process‐based J2000 model to other ungauged catchments in the Himalayan region, which could provide important insights into the hydrological system dynamics and provide much needed information to support water resources planning and management.

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Seasonal and annual mass balances of Mera and Pokalde glaciers (Nepal Himalaya) since 2007

Cited by 158 publications

References 53 publications

Contrasted surface mass balances of debris-free glaciers observed between the southern and the inner parts of the Everest region (2007–15)

Contrasted surface mass balances of debris-free glaciers observed between the southern and the inner parts of the Everest region (2007–15)

Modelling the hydrological response of debris‐free and debris‐covered glaciers to present climatic conditions in the semiarid Andes of central Chile

Assessment of spatial transferability of process‐based hydrological model parameters in two neighbouring catchments in the Himalayan Region

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