scholarly journals Estimation of glacial melt contributions to the Bow River, Alberta, Canada, using a radiation-temperature melt model

2014 ◽  
Vol 55 (66) ◽  
pp. 138-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor A. Bash ◽  
Shawn J. Marshall
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Surface Air Temperature ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Radiation Temperature ◽  
Glacier Mass Balance ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Southern Alberta ◽  
Glacier Runoff ◽  
Glacier Ice

AbstractAlberta’s Bow River has its headwaters in the glaciated eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies and is a major source of water in southern Alberta. Glacial retreat, declining snowpacks and increased water demand are all expected in the coming century, yet there are relatively few studies focusing on quantifying glacial meltwater in the Bow River. We develop a new radiation-temperature melt model for modelling distributed glacier mass balance and runoff in the Bow River basin. The model reflects physical processes through the incorporation of near-surface air temperature and absorbed radiation, while avoiding problems of collinearity through the use of a radiation-decorrelated temperature index. The model is calibrated at Haig Glacier in the southern portion of the basin and validated at Haig and Peyto Glaciers. Application of the model to the entire Bow River basin for 2000-09 shows glacier ice melt is equivalent to 3% of annual discharge in Calgary on average. Modelled ice melt in August is equal to 8-20% of the August Bow River discharge in Calgary. This emphasizes the importance of glacier runoff to late-summer streamflow in the region, particularly in warm, dry years.

scholarly journals Glacier runoff variations since 1955 in the Maipo River basin, in the semiarid Andes of central Chile

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 2005-2027 ◽  
Author(s):  
Álvaro Ayala ◽  
David Farías-Barahona ◽  
Matthias Huss ◽  
Francesca Pellicciotti ◽  
James McPhee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Climate Scenario ◽  
Glacier Mass Balance ◽  
Time Step ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Kinematic Approximation ◽  
Glacier Runoff ◽  
Drought Mitigation ◽  
Year 2000

Abstract. As glaciers adjust their size in response to climate variations, long-term changes in meltwater production can be expected, affecting the local availability of water resources. We investigate glacier runoff in the period 1955–2016 in the Maipo River basin (4843 km2, 33.0–34.3∘ S, 69.8–70.5∘ W), in the semiarid Andes of Chile. The basin contains more than 800 glaciers, which cover 378 km2 in total (inventoried in 2000). We model the mass balance and runoff contribution of 26 glaciers with the physically oriented and fully distributed TOPKAPI (Topographic Kinematic Approximation and Integration)-ETH glacio-hydrological model and extrapolate the results to the entire basin. TOPKAPI-ETH is run at a daily time step using several glaciological and meteorological datasets, and its results are evaluated against streamflow records, remotely sensed snow cover, and geodetic mass balances for the periods 1955–2000 and 2000–2013. Results show that in 1955–2016 glacier mass balance had a general decreasing trend as a basin average but also had differences between the main sub-catchments. Glacier volume decreased by one-fifth (from 18.6±4.5 to 14.9±2.9 km3). Runoff from the initially glacierized areas was 177±25 mm yr−1 (16±7 % of the total contributions to the basin), but it shows a decreasing sequence of maxima, which can be linked to the interplay between a decrease in precipitation since the 1980s and the reduction of ice melt. Glaciers in the Maipo River basin will continue retreating because they are not in equilibrium with the current climate. In a hypothetical constant climate scenario, glacier volume would reduce to 81±38 % of the year 2000 volume, and glacier runoff would be 78±30 % of the 1955–2016 average. This would considerably decrease the drought mitigation capacity of the basin.

scholarly journals Glacier runoff variations since 1955 in the Maipo River Basin, semiarid Andes of central Chile

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Álvaro Ayala ◽  
David Farías-Barahona ◽  
Matthias Huss ◽  
Francesca Pellicciotti ◽  
James McPhee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Glacier Mass Balance ◽  
Climate Variations ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Glacier Runoff ◽  
Drought Mitigation ◽  
Year 2000

Abstract. As glaciers adjust their size in response to climate variations, long-term changes in meltwater production can be expected, affecting the local availability of water resources. We investigate glacier runoff in the period 1955–2016 in the Maipo River Basin (4 843 km2), semiarid Andes of Chile. The basin contains more than 800 glaciers covering 378 km2 (inventoried in 2000). We model the mass balance and runoff contribution of 26 glaciers with the physically-oriented and fully-distributed TOPKAPI-ETH glacio-hydrological model, and extrapolate the results to the entire basin. TOPKAPI-ETH is run using several glaciological and meteorological datasets, and its results are evaluated against streamflow records, remotely-sensed snow cover and geodetic mass balances for the periods 1955–2000 and 2000–2013. Results show that glacier mass balance had a general decreasing trend as a basin average, but with differences between the main sub-catchments. Glacier volume decreased by one fifth (from 18.6 ± 4.5 to 14.9 ± 2.9 km3). Runoff from the initially glacierized areas was 186 ± 27 mm yr−1 (17 ± 7 % of the total contributions to the basin), but it shows a decreasing sequence of maxima, which can be linked to the interplay between a decrease in precipitation since the 1980s and the reduction of ice melt. If glaciers in the basin were in equilibrium with the climate of the last two decades, their volume would be reduced to 81 ± 38 % of the year 2000 volume, and glacier runoff during dry periods would be 61 ± 24 % of its maximum contribution in the period 1955–2016, considerably decreasing the drought mitigation capacity of the basin.

scholarly journals Meltwater runoff from Haig Glacier, Canadian Rocky Mountains, 2002–2013

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 8355-8407 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Annual Runoff ◽  
Glacier Mass Balance ◽  
Canadian Rocky Mountains ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Glacier Runoff ◽  
Specific Discharge

Abstract. Observations of high-elevation meteorological conditions, glacier mass balance, and glacier runoff are sparse in western Canada and the Canadian Rocky Mountains, leading to uncertainty about the importance of glaciers to regional water resources. This needs to be quantified so that the impacts of ongoing glacier recession can be evaluated with respect to alpine ecology, hydroelectric operations, and water resource management. I assess the seasonal evolution of glacier runoff in an alpine watershed on the continental divide in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Analysis is based on meteorological, snowpack and surface energy balance data collected at Haig Glacier from 2002–2013. The study area is one of several glacierized headwaters catchments of the Bow River, which flows eastward to provide an important supply of water to the Canadian prairies. Annual specific discharge from snow- and ice-melt on Haig Glacier averaged 2350 mm water equivalent (w.e.) from 2002–2013, with 42% of the runoff derived from melting of glacier ice and firn, i.e. water stored in the glacier reservoir. This is an order of magnitude greater than the annual specific discharge from non-glacierized parts of the Bow River basin. From 2002–2013, meltwater derived from the glacier storage was equivalent to 5–6% of the flow of the Bow River in Calgary in late summer and 2–3% of annual discharge. The basin is typical of most glacier-fed mountains rivers, where the modest and declining extent of glacierized area in the catchment limits the glacier contribution to annual runoff.

scholarly journals Meltwater run-off from Haig Glacier, Canadian Rocky Mountains, 2002–2013

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 5181-5200 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Glacier Mass Balance ◽  
Canadian Rocky Mountains ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Specific Discharge

Abstract. Observations of high-elevation meteorological conditions, glacier mass balance, and glacier run-off are sparse in western Canada and the Canadian Rocky Mountains, leading to uncertainty about the importance of glaciers to regional water resources. This needs to be quantified so that the impacts of ongoing glacier recession can be evaluated with respect to alpine ecology, hydroelectric operations, and water resource management. In this manuscript the seasonal evolution of glacier run-off is assessed for an alpine watershed on the continental divide in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The study area is a headwaters catchment of the Bow River, which flows eastward to provide an important supply of water to the Canadian prairies. Meteorological, snowpack, and surface energy balance data collected at Haig Glacier from 2002 to 2013 were analysed to evaluate glacier mass balance and run-off. Annual specific discharge from snow- and ice-melt on Haig Glacier averaged 2350 mm water equivalent from 2002 to 2013, with 42% of the run-off derived from melting of glacier ice and firn, i.e. water stored in the glacier reservoir. This is an order of magnitude greater than the annual specific discharge from non-glacierized parts of the Bow River basin. From 2002 to 2013, meltwater derived from the glacier storage was equivalent to 5–6% of the flow of the Bow River in Calgary in late summer and 2–3% of annual discharge. The basin is typical of most glacier-fed mountain rivers, where the modest and declining extent of glacierized area in the catchment limits the glacier contribution to annual run-off.

scholarly journals Quantifying the contribution of glacier runoff to streamflow in the upper Columbia River Basin, Canada

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 849-860 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Jost ◽  
R. D. Moore ◽  
B. Menounos ◽  
R. Wheate
Keyword(s):  
Model Calibration ◽  
Columbia River ◽  
Hydrologic Model ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
Columbia River Basin ◽  
Glacier Mass Balance ◽  
Glacier Area ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Glacier Melt ◽  
Glacier Ice

Abstract. Glacier melt provides important contributions to streamflow in many mountainous regions. Hydrologic model calibration in glacier-fed catchments is difficult because errors in modelling snow accumulation can be offset by compensating errors in glacier melt. This problem is particularly severe in catchments with modest glacier cover, where goodness-of-fit statistics such as the Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency may not be highly sensitive to the streamflow variance associated with glacier melt. While glacier mass balance measurements can be used to aid model calibration, they are absent for most catchments. We introduce the use of glacier volume change determined from repeated glacier mapping in a guided GLUE (generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation) procedure to calibrate a hydrologic model. This approach is applied to the Mica basin in the Canadian portion of the Columbia River Basin using the HBV-EC hydrologic model. Use of glacier volume change in the calibration procedure effectively reduced parameter uncertainty and helped to ensure that the model was accurately predicting glacier mass balance as well as streamflow. The seasonal and interannual variations in glacier melt contributions were assessed by running the calibrated model with historic glacier cover and also after converting all glacierized areas to alpine land cover in the model setup. Sensitivity of modelled streamflow to historic changes in glacier cover and to projected glacier changes for a climate warming scenario was assessed by comparing simulations using static glacier cover to simulations that accommodated dynamic changes in glacier area. Although glaciers in the Mica basin only cover 5% of the watershed, glacier ice melt contributes up to 25% and 35% of streamflow in August and September, respectively. The mean annual contribution of ice melt to total streamflow varied between 3 and 9% and averaged 6%. Glacier ice melt is particularly important during warm, dry summers following winters with low snow accumulation and early snowpack depletion. Although the sensitivity of streamflow to historic glacier area changes is small and within parameter uncertainties, our results suggest that glacier area changes have to be accounted for in future projections of late summer streamflow. Our approach provides an effective and widely applicable method to calibrate hydrologic models in glacier fed catchments, as well as to quantify the magnitude and timing of glacier melt contributions to streamflow.

scholarly journals Variation of Melt Water and Rainfall Runoff and Their Impacts on Streamflow Changes during Recent Decades in Two Tibetan Plateau Basins

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3112
Author(s):  
Yueguan Zhang ◽  
Chong-Yu Xu ◽  
Zhenchun Hao ◽  
Leilei Zhang ◽  
Qin Ju ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Minor Role ◽  
Glacier Mass Balance ◽  
Rainfall Runoff ◽  
Snowmelt Runoff ◽  
Total Runoff ◽  
Recent Climate ◽  
Glacier Runoff ◽  
Melt Water

To fully understand potential changes in hydrological regime over the Lhasa River Basin (LRB) and the upstream of Niyang River Basin (UNRB) in Tibetan Plateau under global warming, the VIC-glacier model was employed to analyze the responses of rainfall runoff and melt water to recent climate change, and we also quantify their roles in controlling the trend of river streamflow during 1963–2012. The hydrological model was calibrated using the observed streamflow, glacier mass balance, and MODIS snow cover. The simulations indicate that there is a significant increasing trend in glacier runoff for both basins during 1963–2012, especially in the period of 2000s when it exhibits a large increment up to about 45% relative to baseline period. Rainfall runoff suggests a rising tendency whereas snowmelt runoff displays a general decreasing tendency. For both basins, increasing rainfall runoff was identified as the dominant driver for the upward trend in total runoff during 1963–2012. The role of glacier runoff in controlling the trend of total runoff is also obvious, especially in the more glaciated UNRB where increased glacier runoff accounts for up to 41% of the tendency in river discharge. Snowmelt runoff plays a minor role in affecting the trend of total runoff.

scholarly journals A changing hydrological regime: Trends in magnitude and timing of glacier ice melt and glacier runoff in a high latitude coastal watershed

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Young ◽  
Erin Christine Pettit ◽  
Anthony A. Arendt ◽  
Eran Hood ◽  
Glen Liston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Latitude ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Coastal Watershed ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Glacier Runoff ◽  
Glacier Ice

scholarly journals Air temperature distribution and energy-balance modelling of a debris-covered glacier

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (231) ◽  
pp. 185-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
THOMAS E. SHAW ◽  
BEN W. BROCK ◽  
CATRIONA L. FYFFE ◽  
FRANCESCA PELLICCIOTTI ◽  
NICK RUTTER ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Balance ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Surface Air Temperature ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Lapse Rate ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Linear Temperature ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Debris Cover

ABSTRACTNear-surface air temperature is an important determinant of the surface energy balance of glaciers and is often represented by a constant linear temperature gradients (TGs) in models. Spatio-temporal variability in 2 m air temperature was measured across the debris-covered Miage Glacier, Italy, over an 89 d period during the 2014 ablation season using a network of 19 stations. Air temperature was found to be strongly dependent upon elevation for most stations, even under varying meteorological conditions and at different times of day, and its spatial variability was well explained by a locally derived mean linear TG (MG–TG) of −0.0088°C m−1. However, local temperature depressions occurred over areas of very thin or patchy debris cover. The MG–TG, together with other air TGs, extrapolated from both on- and off-glacier sites, were applied in a distributed energy-balance model. Compared with piecewise air temperature extrapolation from all on-glacier stations, modelled ablation, using the MG–TG, increased by <1%, increasing to >4% using the environmental ‘lapse rate’. Ice melt under thick debris was relatively insensitive to air temperature, while the effects of different temperature extrapolation methods were strongest at high elevation sites of thin and patchy debris cover.

scholarly journals Glacier albedo reduction and drought effects in the extratropical Andes, 1986–2020

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Thomas E. Shaw ◽  
Genesis Ulloa ◽  
David Farías-Barahona ◽  
Rodrigo Fernandez ◽  
Jose M. Lattus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Security ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Drought Period ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Mountain Glaciers ◽  
Snow Covered Area ◽  
Covered Area ◽  
Glacier Ice ◽  
Long Term Trends

Abstract Surface albedo typically dominates the mass balance of mountain glaciers, though long-term trends and patterns of glacier albedo are seldom explored. We calculated broadband shortwave albedo for glaciers in the central Chilean Andes (33–34°S) using end-of-summer Landsat scenes between 1986 and 2020. We found a high inter-annual variability of glacier-wide albedo that is largely a function of the glacier fractional snow-covered area and the total precipitation of the preceding hydrological year (up to 69% of the inter-annual variance explained). Under the 2010–2020 ‘Mega Drought’ period, the mean albedo, regionally averaged ranging from ~0.25–0.5, decreased by −0.05 on average relative to 1986–2009, with the greatest reduction occurring 3500–5000 m a.s.l. In 2020, differences relative to 1986–2009 were −0.14 on average as a result of near-complete absence of late summer snow cover and the driest hydrological year since the Landsat observation period began (~90% reduction of annual precipitation relative to the 1986–2009 period). We found statistically significant, negative trends in glacier ice albedo of up to −0.03 per decade, a trend that would have serious implications for the future water security of the region, because glacier ice melt acts to buffer streamflow shortages under severe drought conditions.

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