Future retreat of Great Aletsch Glacier
We model the future evolution of the largest glacier of the European Alps – Great Aletsch Glacier, Switzerland – during the 21st century. For that purpose we use a detailed three-dimensional model, which combines full Stokes ice dynamics and surface mass balance forced with the most recent climate p...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2019-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Glaciology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143019000522/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1811155786571710464 |
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| author | Guillaume Jouvet Matthias Huss |
| author_facet | Guillaume Jouvet Matthias Huss |
| author_sort | Guillaume Jouvet |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We model the future evolution of the largest glacier of the European Alps – Great Aletsch Glacier, Switzerland – during the 21st century. For that purpose we use a detailed three-dimensional model, which combines full Stokes ice dynamics and surface mass balance forced with the most recent climate projections (CH2018), as well as with climate data of the last decades. As a result, all CH2018 climate scenarios yield a major glacier retreat: Results range from a loss of 60% of today's ice volume by 2100 for a moderate CO2 emission scenario (RCP2.6) being in line with the Paris agreement to an almost complete wastage of the ice for the most extreme emission scenario (RCP8.5). Our model results also provide evidence that half of the mass loss is already committed under the climate conditions of the last decade. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:40:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-31bd0fe8f1ad43d0b7b20f8c589a1418 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:40:29Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Glaciology |
| spelling | doaj.art-31bd0fe8f1ad43d0b7b20f8c589a14182023-03-09T12:40:49ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Glaciology0022-14301727-56522019-10-016586987210.1017/jog.2019.52Future retreat of Great Aletsch GlacierGuillaume Jouvet0Matthias Huss1Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland andLaboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland and Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, SwitzerlandWe model the future evolution of the largest glacier of the European Alps – Great Aletsch Glacier, Switzerland – during the 21st century. For that purpose we use a detailed three-dimensional model, which combines full Stokes ice dynamics and surface mass balance forced with the most recent climate projections (CH2018), as well as with climate data of the last decades. As a result, all CH2018 climate scenarios yield a major glacier retreat: Results range from a loss of 60% of today's ice volume by 2100 for a moderate CO2 emission scenario (RCP2.6) being in line with the Paris agreement to an almost complete wastage of the ice for the most extreme emission scenario (RCP8.5). Our model results also provide evidence that half of the mass loss is already committed under the climate conditions of the last decade.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143019000522/type/journal_articleClimate changeice dynamicsmountain glaciers |
| spellingShingle | Guillaume Jouvet Matthias Huss Future retreat of Great Aletsch Glacier Journal of Glaciology Climate change ice dynamics mountain glaciers |
| title | Future retreat of Great Aletsch Glacier |
| title_full | Future retreat of Great Aletsch Glacier |
| title_fullStr | Future retreat of Great Aletsch Glacier |
| title_full_unstemmed | Future retreat of Great Aletsch Glacier |
| title_short | Future retreat of Great Aletsch Glacier |
| title_sort | future retreat of great aletsch glacier |
| topic | Climate change ice dynamics mountain glaciers |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143019000522/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT guillaumejouvet futureretreatofgreataletschglacier AT matthiashuss futureretreatofgreataletschglacier |