Difference between accumulation and melting on a glacier
See also: Retreat of glaciers since 1850
Crucial to the survival of a glacier is its mass balance of which surface mass balance (SMB), the difference between accumulation and ablation (sublimation and melting). Climate change may cause variations in both temperature and snowfall, causing changes in the surface mass balance.[2] Changes in mass balance control a glacier's long-term behavior and are the most sensitive climate indicators on a glacier.[3] From 1980 to 2012 the mean cumulative mass loss of glaciers reporting mass balance to the World Glacier Monitoring Service is −16 m. This includes 23 consecutive years of negative mass balances.[3]
A glacier with a sustained negative balance is out of equilibrium and will retreat, while one with a sustained positive balance is out of equilibrium and will advance. Glacier retreat results in the loss of the low elevation region of the glacier. Since higher elevations are cooler than lower ones, the disappearance of the lowest portion of the glacier reduces overall ablation, thereby increasing mass balance and potentially reestablishing equilibrium. However, if the mass balance of a significant portion of the accumulation zone of the glacier is negative, it is in disequilibrium with the local climate. Such a glacier will melt away with a continuation of this local climate.[4]
The key symptom of a glacier in disequilibrium is thinning along the entire length of the glacier.[5] For example, Easton Glacier (pictured below) will likely shrink to half its size, but at a slowing rate of reduction, and stabilize at that size, despite the warmer temperature, over a few decades. However, the Grinnell Glacier (pictured below) will shrink at an increasing rate until it disappears. The difference is that the upper section of Easton Glacier remains healthy and snow-covered, while even the upper section of the Grinnell Glacier is bare, melting and has thinned. Small glaciers with shallow slopes such as Grinnell Glacier are most likely to fall into disequilibrium if there is a change in the local climate.
In the case of positive mass balance, the glacier will continue to advance expanding its low elevation area, resulting in more melting. If this still does not create an equilibrium balance the glacier will continue to advance. If a glacier is near a large body of water, especially an ocean, the glacier may advance until iceberg calving losses bring about equilibrium.
^"Global Glacier State". WGMS.ch. World Glacier Monitoring Service under the auspices of ISC (WDS), IUGG (IACS), UN environment, UNESCO, WMO. 2020. Archived from the original on 4 August 2022.
^Mauri S. Pelto (Nichols College). "Glacier Mass Balance of North Cascade, Washington Glaciers 1984–2004". In "Hydrologic Processes". Archived from the original on December 25, 2007. Retrieved February 27, 2008.
^ abMichael Zemp, WGMS (September 9, 2008). "Glacier Mass Balance". World Glacier Monitoring Service. Archived from the original on March 7, 2008.
^Mauri S. Pelto (Nichols College). "The Disequilibrium of North Cascade, Washington Glaciers 1984–2004". In "Hydrologic Processes". Retrieved February 14, 2006.
^Pelto, M.S. (2010). "Forecasting temperate alpine glacier survival from accumulation zone observations" (PDF). The Cryosphere. 4 (1): 67–75. Bibcode:2010TCry....4...67P. doi:10.5194/tc-4-67-2010. Retrieved February 9, 2010.
and 30 Related for: Glacier mass balance information
Crucial to the survival of a glacier is its massbalance of which surface massbalance (SMB), the difference between accumulation and ablation (sublimation...
In physics, a massbalance, also called a material balance, is an application of conservation of mass to the analysis of physical systems. By accounting...
over 2.5 miles (4.0 km) since 1500. The end of the glacier currently has a negative glaciermassbalance and will continue to retreat in the foreseeable...
and the glacier terminus is always either advancing or retreating. The location of the terminus is often directly related to glaciermassbalance, which...
to the cryosphere of which glaciers are a part. The glaciermassbalance is the key determinant of the health of a glacier. If the amount of frozen precipitation...
(Precipitation-Temperature-Area-Altitude GlacierMassBalance) The PTAAGMB Model is used for calculating a glacier'smassbalance, the primary indicator of its health...
massbalance. The amount of snow and ice gained in the accumulation zone and the amount of snow and ice lost in the ablation zone determine glacier mass...
further reducing the calving rate. This will improve the glaciermassbalance and the glacier can begin to advance due to this change or an increase in...
1948–1986, the glacier had a positive glaciermassbalance driving the advance. From 1987–2009, the glacier has had a slightly negative massbalance, not enough...
monitored the glaciermassbalance of the glacier since 1970 and operates a sub-glacial laboratory beneath Engabreen. Water from the glacier is collected...
in the glaciermassbalance formula, with ablation counteracting. With successive years in which accumulation exceeds ablation, then a glacier will experience...
accumulation, the glacier shows a negative glaciermassbalance and the glacier will melt back. During times in which the volume input to the glacier by precipitation...
Colorado. The glacier has a negative glaciermassbalance and lost over 52% of its surface area during the 20th Century. List of glaciers in the United...
original on 2014-09-01. Retrieved 2013-09-24. How glaciers form and flow Trends in glaciermassbalance Archived 2012-01-02 at the Wayback Machine Animation...
Capital buildup, the gathering of objects of value Glacier ice buildup, an element in the glaciermassbalance formula Build-up, a tactic in association football...
JSTOR 25642090. Terminus Behavior of Juneau Icefield Glaciers 1948-2005 Massbalance of the Taku Glacier Juneau Icefield Research Program U.S. Geological...
Skagit River. South Cascade Glacier is one of the four "benchmark glaciers" that is monitored by the USGS and its massbalance has been monitored since 1959...
The health of a glacier is usually assessed by determining the glaciermassbalance or observing terminus behavior. Healthy glaciers have large accumulation...
(AP), due to the large differences in topography, ice flow, and glaciermassbalance between the three regions. Because the East Antarctic ice sheet is...
South Cascade Glacier are the other two monitoring sites. The study monitors climate, glacial movement, glacial runoff, glaciermass-balance, and stream...
pesticides or other chemicals in an organism Glacier ice accumulation, an element in the glaciermassbalance formula Metabolic trapping, a localization...
of the glacier taken in the early 1900s are compared with those of the early 2000s, Andrews Glacier is showing a negative glaciermassbalance which indicates...
volume of the glacier. Monitoring of climatic conditions continued, with an emphasis on the impact of Foehn winds on glaciermassbalance. Based on the...
substantial component of the glacier ice massbalance.: 2 Accordingly Iceland's glacier area varies from year to year and some glaciers may grow while others...
which the mass accumulated during winter is lost, and the glacier loses mass irrecoverably for the rest of the massbalance year." The Glacier Loss Day...
volume of the glacier. Monitoring of climatic conditions continued, with an emphasis on the impact of Foehn winds on glaciermassbalance. Based on the...
the glacier. It was the longest calving ever captured on film. Glaciermassbalance Glacial motion List of glaciers in Greenland Retreat of glaciers since...
climatological research. It was here at Storglaciären that the first glaciermassbalance program was initiated immediately after World War II. This glaciological...