Authors: Rolstad, C.; Oerlemans, J.

Source: Annals of Glaciology, Volume 42, Number 1, August 2005 , pp. 367-372(6)

Publisher: International Glaciological Society

Abstract:

The surface energy balance of glaciers is studied to determine their sensitivity to climate variations. It is known that the turbulent heat fluxes are sensitive to increases in temperature. Automatic weather station data from ablation regions are used to measure melt rates, radiative fluxes and the meteorological data required to determine turbulent heat fluxes using bulk formulas. The turbulent exchange coefficient must be determined for closure of the energy budget. The available methods are the eddy correlation method, the profile method and the residual method, which is applied and tested here. In the residual method the coefficient is determined by fitting a calculated melt curve to an observed melt curve. The coefficients are estimated for three sites: for Vatnajökull, Iceland, C_h = (1.3 ± 0.55) × 10⁻³ (1998) and C_h = (2.5 ± 1.1) × 10⁻³ (1999); for Morteratschgletscher, Switzerland, C_h = (2.1 ± 0.55) × 10⁻³ (1998); and for West Greenland, C_h = (2.0 ± 0.52) × 10⁻³ (1998-2000). It is found that the coefficient can be determined to within 26% uncertainty under the following conditions: all terms in the energy balance are measured, there is no differential melt on the glacier surface, the melt curves are fitted when the entire snow layer has melted, and the measurement period is several weeks.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3189/172756405781813041

Publication date: 2005-08-01

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• The Annals of Glaciology is a peer-reviewed, thematic journal published 2 to 4 times a year by the International Glaciological Society (IGS). Publication frequency is determined and volume/issue numbers assigned by the IGS Council on a year-to-year basis and with a lead time of 3 to 4 years. The Annals of Glaciology is included in the ISI Science Citation Index from volume 50, number 50 onwards.

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