@article{19878,
  abstract     = {Rock debris partially covers glaciers worldwide, with varying extents and distributions, and controls sub‐debris melt rates by modifying energy transfer from the atmosphere to the ice. Two key physical properties controlling this energy exchange are thermal conductivity (k) and aerodynamic roughness length (z0). Accurate representation of these properties in energy‐balance models is critical for understanding climate‐glacier interactions and predicting the behavior of debris‐covered glaciers. However, k and z0 have been derived at very few sites from limited local measurements, using different approaches, and most model applications rely on values reported from these few sites and studies. We derive k and z0 using established and modified approaches from data at three locations on Pirámide Glacier in the central Chilean Andes. By comparing methods and evaluating melt simulated with an energy‐balance model, we reveal substantial differences between approaches. These lead to discrepancies between ice melt from energy‐balance simulations and observed data, and highlight the impact of method choice on calculated ice melt. Optimizing k against measured melt appears a viable approach to constrain melt simulations. Determining z0 seems less critical, as it has a smaller impact on total melt. Profile aerodynamic method measurements for estimating z0, despite higher costs, are independent of ice melt calculations. The large, unexpected differences between methods indicate a substantial knowledge gap. The fact that field‐derived k and z0 fail to work well in energy‐balance models, suggests that model values represent bulk properties distinct from theoretical field measurements. Addressing this gap is essential for improving glacier melt predictions.},
  author       = {Melo Velasco, Juan Vicente and Miles, Evan and McCarthy, Michael and Shaw, Thomas and Fyffe, Catriona Louise and Fontrodona-Bach, Adrià and Pellicciotti, Francesca},
  issn         = {2169-9011},
  journal      = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface},
  number       = {6},
  publisher    = {Wiley},
  title        = {{Method dependence in thermal conductivity and aerodynamic roughness length estimates on a debris‐covered glacier}},
  doi          = {10.1029/2025jf008360},
  volume       = {130},
  year         = {2025},
}

@article{12613,
  abstract     = {We use high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys to document the evolution of four ice cliffs on the debris-covered tongue of Lirung Glacier, Nepal, over one ablation season. Observations show that out of four cliffs, three different patterns of evolution emerge: (i) reclining cliffs that flatten during the ablation season; (ii) stable cliffs that maintain a self-similar geometry; and (iii) growing cliffs, expanding laterally. We use the insights from this unique data set to develop a 3-D model of cliff backwasting and evolution that is validated against observations and an independent data set of volume losses. The model includes ablation at the cliff surface driven by energy exchange with the atmosphere, reburial of cliff cells by surrounding debris, and the effect of adjacent ponds. The cliff geometry is updated monthly to account for the modifications induced by each of those processes. Model results indicate that a major factor affecting the survival of steep cliffs is the coupling with ponded water at its base, which prevents progressive flattening and possible disappearance of a cliff. The radial growth observed at one cliff is explained by higher receipts of longwave and shortwave radiation, calculated taking into account atmospheric fluxes, shading, and the emission of longwave radiation from debris surfaces. The model is a clear step forward compared to existing static approaches that calculate atmospheric melt over an invariant cliff geometry and can be used for long-term simulations of cliff evolution and to test existing hypotheses about cliffs' survival.},
  author       = {Buri, Pascal and Miles, Evan S. and Steiner, Jakob F. and Immerzeel, Walter W. and Wagnon, Patrick and Pellicciotti, Francesca},
  issn         = {2169-9011},
  journal      = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface},
  keywords     = {Earth-Surface Processes, Geophysics},
  number       = {12},
  pages        = {2471--2493},
  publisher    = {American Geophysical Union},
  title        = {{A physically based 3‐D model of ice cliff evolution over debris‐covered glaciers}},
  doi          = {10.1002/2016jf004039},
  volume       = {121},
  year         = {2016},
}