All-sky radiation over a glacier surface in the Southern Alps of New Zealand: characterizing cloud effects on incoming shortwave, longwave and net radiation

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 699-713 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Conway ◽  
N. J. Cullen ◽  
R. A. Spronken-Smith ◽  
S. J. Fitzsimons
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Southern Alps ◽  
Net Radiation ◽  
Glacier Surface

scholarly journals Age constraints of rock glaciers in the Southern Alps/New Zealand – Exploring their palaeoclimatic potential

The Holocene ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 778-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Winkler ◽  
Christophe Lambiel
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Southern Alps ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Age Dating ◽  
Schmidt Hammer ◽  
Rock Glacier ◽  
Glacier Surface ◽  
The Holocene ◽  
Exposure Age ◽  
Rock Glaciers

Two rock glaciers in the valley head of Irishman Stream in the central Ben Ohau Range, Southern Alps/New Zealand, have been investigated using the electronic Schmidt-hammer (SilverSchmidt). Longitudinal profiles on both features reveal a consistent trend of decreasing R(Rebound)-values and, hence, increasing weathering intensity and surface-exposure age on their numerous transverse surface ridges from rooting zone towards the front. Previously published numerical ages obtained by terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide dating (TCND) allowed the calculation of a local Schmidt-hammer exposure-age dating (SHD) age-calibration curve by serving as the required fixed points. Age estimates for the lowermost rock glacier surface ridges fall within the early Holocene between 12 and 10.5 ka and indicate a fast disappearance of the Late Glacial glacier formerly occupying the valley head, followed by the initiation of rock glacier formation around or shortly after the onset of the Holocene. Although it cannot be judged whether the rock glaciers investigated were active within the entire Holocene or only repeatedly during multiple episodes within, their location and intact morphology exclude any substantial glacial activity at Irishman Stream during the Holocene. This has considerable regional palaeoclimatic implications because it opens for the hypothesis that climatic conditions during early Holocene were possibly comparatively dry and favourable for rock glacier initiation, but less so for glaciers. It would also challenge the view that air temperature is the sole major climate driver of glacier variability in the Southern Alps. More work utilising the palaeoclimatic potential of rock glaciers in the Southern Alps is advised.

scholarly journals Reconstructing the mass balance of Brewster Glacier, New Zealand, using MODIS-derived glacier-wide albedo

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 2465-2484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascal Sirguey ◽  
Holly Still ◽  
Nicolas J. Cullen ◽  
Marie Dumont ◽  
Yves Arnaud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Mass Gain ◽  
Southern Alps ◽  
Good Correspondence ◽  
Glacier Surface ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Annual Balance

Abstract. In New Zealand, direct measurements of mass balance are sparse due to the inaccessibility of glaciers in the Southern Alps and the logistical difficulties associated with maintaining a mass balance record. In order to explore the benefit of remotely sensed imaging to monitor mass balance in the Southern Alps, this research assesses the relationship between measurements of glacier surface albedo derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and mass balance observations using the glaciological method on Brewster Glacier over the 2005–2013 period. We confirm that minimum glacier-wide albedo is a reliable predictor for annual mass balance in this maritime environment (R2 = 0.93). Furthermore, we show that regular monitoring of glacier-wide albedo enables a new metric of winter accumulation to be derived, namely the cumulative winter albedo, which is found to correlate strongly with winter mass balance (R2 = 0.88), thus enabling the reconstruction of separate winter and summer mass balance records. This allows the mass balance record for Brewster Glacier to be extended back to the start of MODIS observations in 2000 and to confirm that the annual balance of Brewster Glacier is largely controlled by summer balance (R2  =  92 %). An application of the extended record is proposed whereby the relationship between mass balance and the photographic record of the end-of-summer snowline altitude is assessed. This allowed the annual balance record of Brewster Glacier to be reconstructed over the period 1977–2013, thus providing the longest record of mass balance for a glacier in New Zealand. Over the 37-year period, our results show that Brewster Glacier gained a significant mass of up to 14.5 ± 2.7 m w.e. by 2007. This gain was offset by a marked shift toward negative balances after 2008, yielding a loss of 5.1 ± 1.2 m w.e., or 35 % of the gain accumulated over the previous 30 years. The good correspondence between mass balance of Brewster Glacier and the phase of the Pacific (Inter-)Decadal Oscillation (PDO/IPO), associated with the fast terminus retreat observed between 1978 and 1998, strongly suggests that the observed mass gain of Brewster Glacier since 1977 is only offsetting a longer sequence of dominantly negative balances.

scholarly journals Reconstructing the mass balance of Brewster Glacier, New Zealand, using MODIS-derived glacier-wide albedo

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascal Sirguey ◽  
Holly Still ◽  
Nicolas J. Cullen ◽  
Marie Dumont ◽  
Yves Arnaud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Mass Gain ◽  
Southern Alps ◽  
Good Correspondence ◽  
Glacier Surface ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Annual Balance

Abstract. In New Zealand, direct measurements of mass balance are sparse due to the inaccessibility of glaciers in the Southern Alps and the logistical difficulties associated with maintaining a mass balance record. In order to explore the benefit of remotely sensed imaging to monitor mass balance in the Southern Alps, this research assesses the relationship between measurements of glacier surface albedo derived from MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and mass balance observations using the glaciological method on Brewster Glacier over the 2005–2013 period. We confirm that minimum glacier-wide albedo is a reliable predictor for annual mass balance in this maritime environment (R2 = 0.93). Furthermore, we show that regular monitoring of glacier-wide albedo enables a new metric of winter accumulation to be derived, namely the cumulative winter albedo, that is found to correlate strongly with winter mass balance (R2 = 0.88), thus enabling the reconstruction of separate winter and summer mass balance records. This allows the mass balance record for Brewster Glacier to be extended back to the start of MODIS observations in 2000 and to confirm that the annual balance of Brewster Glacier is largely controlled by summer balance (R2 = 92 %). An application of the extended record is proposed whereby the relationship between mass balance and the photographic record of the end-of-summer snowline altitude is assessed. This allowed the annual balance record of Brewster Glacier to be reconstructed over the period 1977–2013, thus providing the longest record of mass balance for a glacier in New Zealand. Over the 37-year period, our results show that Brewster Glacier gained significant mass of up to 14.5 ± 2.7 m w.e. by 2007. This gain was offset by a marked shift toward negative balances after 2008, yielding a loss of 5.1 ± 1.2 m w.e., or 35 % of the gain accumulated over the previous 30 years. The good correspondence between mass balance of Brewster Glacier and the phase of the Pacific (Inter-)Decadal Oscillation (PDO/IPO) associated with the fast terminus retreat observed between 1978 and 1998 strongly suggests that observed mass gain of Brewster Glacier since 1977 is only offsetting a longer sequence of dominantly negative balances.

Gold mineralisation near the Main Divide, upper Wilberforce valley, Southern Alps, New Zealand

2000 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Becker ◽  
D. Craw ◽  
T. Horton ◽  
C. P. Chamberlain
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Southern Alps
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