Supraglacial ice cliffs and ponds on debris-covered glaciers: Spatio-temporal distribution and characteristics
STEINER JF, BURI P, MILES ES, RAGETTLI S, Pellicciotti F. 2019. Supraglacial ice cliffs and ponds on debris-covered glaciers: Spatio-temporal distribution and characteristics. Journal of Glaciology. 65(252), 617–632.
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https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2019.40
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Journal Article
| Published
| English
Scopus indexed
Author
STEINER, JAKOB F.;
BURI, PASCAL;
MILES, EVAN S.;
RAGETTLI, SILVAN;
Pellicciotti, FrancescaISTA
Abstract
Ice cliffs and ponds on debris-covered glaciers have received increased attention due to their role in amplifying local melt. However, very few studies have looked at these features on the catchment scale to determine their patterns and changes in space and time. We have compiled a detailed inventory of cliffs and ponds in the Langtang catchment, central Himalaya, from six high-resolution satellite orthoimages and DEMs between 2006 and 2015, and a historic orthophoto from 1974. Cliffs cover between 1.4% (± 0.4%) in the dry and 3.4% (± 0.9%) in the wet seasons and ponds between 0.6% (± 0.1%) and 1.6% (± 0.3%) of the total debris-covered tongues. We find large variations between seasons, as cliffs and ponds tend to grow in the wetter monsoon period, but there is no obvious trend in total area over the study period. The inventory further shows that cliffs are predominately north-facing irrespective of the glacier flow direction. Both cliffs and ponds appear in higher densities several hundred metres from the terminus in areas where tributaries reach the main glacier tongue. On the largest glacier in the catchment ~10% of all cliffs and ponds persisted over nearly a decade.
Publishing Year
Date Published
2019-08-01
Journal Title
Journal of Glaciology
Volume
65
Issue
252
Page
617-632
ISSN
eISSN
IST-REx-ID
Cite this
STEINER JF, BURI P, MILES ES, RAGETTLI S, Pellicciotti F. Supraglacial ice cliffs and ponds on debris-covered glaciers: Spatio-temporal distribution and characteristics. Journal of Glaciology. 2019;65(252):617-632. doi:10.1017/jog.2019.40
STEINER, J. F., BURI, P., MILES, E. S., RAGETTLI, S., & Pellicciotti, F. (2019). Supraglacial ice cliffs and ponds on debris-covered glaciers: Spatio-temporal distribution and characteristics. Journal of Glaciology. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2019.40
STEINER, JAKOB F., PASCAL BURI, EVAN S. MILES, SILVAN RAGETTLI, and Francesca Pellicciotti. “Supraglacial Ice Cliffs and Ponds on Debris-Covered Glaciers: Spatio-Temporal Distribution and Characteristics.” Journal of Glaciology. Cambridge University Press, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2019.40.
J. F. STEINER, P. BURI, E. S. MILES, S. RAGETTLI, and F. Pellicciotti, “Supraglacial ice cliffs and ponds on debris-covered glaciers: Spatio-temporal distribution and characteristics,” Journal of Glaciology, vol. 65, no. 252. Cambridge University Press, pp. 617–632, 2019.
STEINER JF, BURI P, MILES ES, RAGETTLI S, Pellicciotti F. 2019. Supraglacial ice cliffs and ponds on debris-covered glaciers: Spatio-temporal distribution and characteristics. Journal of Glaciology. 65(252), 617–632.
STEINER, JAKOB F., et al. “Supraglacial Ice Cliffs and Ponds on Debris-Covered Glaciers: Spatio-Temporal Distribution and Characteristics.” Journal of Glaciology, vol. 65, no. 252, Cambridge University Press, 2019, pp. 617–32, doi:10.1017/jog.2019.40.
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