Mass balances of Yala and Rikha Samba glaciers, Nepal, from 2000 to 2017
<p>The glacier mass balance is an important variable to describe the climate system and is used for various applications like water resource management or runoff modelling. The direct or glaciological method and the geodetic method are the standard methods to quantify glacier mass changes, and...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Earth System Science Data |
| Online Access: | https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/13/3791/2021/essd-13-3791-2021.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818973075214958592 |
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| author | D. Stumm D. Stumm S. P. Joshi T. R. Gurung G. Silwal G. Silwal |
| author_facet | D. Stumm D. Stumm S. P. Joshi T. R. Gurung G. Silwal G. Silwal |
| author_sort | D. Stumm |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>The glacier mass balance is an important variable to
describe the climate system and is used for various applications like water
resource management or runoff modelling. The direct or glaciological method and the
geodetic method are the standard methods to quantify glacier mass changes,
and both methods are an integral part of international glacier monitoring
strategies. In 2011, we established two glacier mass-balance programmes on
Yala and Rikha Samba glaciers in the Nepal Himalaya. Here we present the
methods and data of the directly measured annual mass balances for the first
six mass-balance years for both glaciers from 2011/2012 to 2016/2017. For Yala
Glacier we additionally present the directly measured seasonal mass balance
from 2011 to 2017, as well as the mass balance from 2000 to 2012 obtained with the
geodetic method. In addition, we analysed glacier length changes for both
glaciers. The directly measured average annual mass-balance rates of Yala
and Rikha Samba glaciers are <span class="inline-formula">−</span>0.80 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 0.28 and <span class="inline-formula">−</span>0.39 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 0.32 m w.e. a<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>, respectively, from 2011 to 2017. The
geodetically measured annual mass-balance rate of Yala Glacier based on
digital elevation models from 2000 and 2012 is <span class="inline-formula">−</span>0.74 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 0.53 m w.e. The
cumulative mass loss for the period 2011 to 2017 for Yala and Rikha Samba
glaciers is <span class="inline-formula">−</span>4.80 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 0.69 and <span class="inline-formula">−</span>2.34 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 0.79 m w.e.,
respectively. The mass loss on Yala Glacier from 2000 to 2012 is
<span class="inline-formula">−</span>8.92 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 6.33 m w.e. The winter balance of Yala Glacier is positive, and
the summer balance is negative in every investigated year. The summer
balance determines the annual balance. Compared to regional mean geodetic
mass-balance rates in the Nepalese Himalaya, the mean mass-balance rate of
Rikha Samba Glacier is in a similar range, and the mean mass-balance rate of
Yala Glacier is more negative because of the small and low-lying
accumulation area. During the study period, a change of Yala Glacier's
surface topography has been observed with glacier thinning and downwasting.
The retreat rates of Rikha Samba Glacier are higher than for Yala Glacier.
From 1989 to 2013, Rikha Samba Glacier retreated 431 m (<span class="inline-formula">−</span>18.0 m a<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>),
and from 1974 to 2016 Yala Glacier retreated 346 m (<span class="inline-formula">−</span>8.2 m a<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>). The
data of the annual and seasonal mass balances, point mass balance, geodetic
mass balance, and length changes are accessible from the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS, 2021), <a href="https://doi.org/10.5904/wgms-fog-2021-05">https://doi.org/10.5904/wgms-fog-2021-05</a>.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T15:18:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-50a3cfa1334f4807ae82df48d14a78dc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1866-3508 1866-3516 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T15:18:24Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Earth System Science Data |
| spelling | doaj.art-50a3cfa1334f4807ae82df48d14a78dc2022-12-21T19:36:07ZengCopernicus PublicationsEarth System Science Data1866-35081866-35162021-08-01133791381810.5194/essd-13-3791-2021Mass balances of Yala and Rikha Samba glaciers, Nepal, from 2000 to 2017D. Stumm0D. Stumm1S. P. Joshi2T. R. Gurung3G. Silwal4G. Silwal5Independent researcher, 8184 Bachenbülach, SwitzerlandICIMOD, G.P.O. Box 3226, Kathmandu, 44600, NepalICIMOD, G.P.O. Box 3226, Kathmandu, 44600, NepalICIMOD, G.P.O. Box 3226, Kathmandu, 44600, NepalICIMOD, G.P.O. Box 3226, Kathmandu, 44600, NepalDepartment of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada<p>The glacier mass balance is an important variable to describe the climate system and is used for various applications like water resource management or runoff modelling. The direct or glaciological method and the geodetic method are the standard methods to quantify glacier mass changes, and both methods are an integral part of international glacier monitoring strategies. In 2011, we established two glacier mass-balance programmes on Yala and Rikha Samba glaciers in the Nepal Himalaya. Here we present the methods and data of the directly measured annual mass balances for the first six mass-balance years for both glaciers from 2011/2012 to 2016/2017. For Yala Glacier we additionally present the directly measured seasonal mass balance from 2011 to 2017, as well as the mass balance from 2000 to 2012 obtained with the geodetic method. In addition, we analysed glacier length changes for both glaciers. The directly measured average annual mass-balance rates of Yala and Rikha Samba glaciers are <span class="inline-formula">−</span>0.80 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 0.28 and <span class="inline-formula">−</span>0.39 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 0.32 m w.e. a<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>, respectively, from 2011 to 2017. The geodetically measured annual mass-balance rate of Yala Glacier based on digital elevation models from 2000 and 2012 is <span class="inline-formula">−</span>0.74 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 0.53 m w.e. The cumulative mass loss for the period 2011 to 2017 for Yala and Rikha Samba glaciers is <span class="inline-formula">−</span>4.80 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 0.69 and <span class="inline-formula">−</span>2.34 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 0.79 m w.e., respectively. The mass loss on Yala Glacier from 2000 to 2012 is <span class="inline-formula">−</span>8.92 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 6.33 m w.e. The winter balance of Yala Glacier is positive, and the summer balance is negative in every investigated year. The summer balance determines the annual balance. Compared to regional mean geodetic mass-balance rates in the Nepalese Himalaya, the mean mass-balance rate of Rikha Samba Glacier is in a similar range, and the mean mass-balance rate of Yala Glacier is more negative because of the small and low-lying accumulation area. During the study period, a change of Yala Glacier's surface topography has been observed with glacier thinning and downwasting. The retreat rates of Rikha Samba Glacier are higher than for Yala Glacier. From 1989 to 2013, Rikha Samba Glacier retreated 431 m (<span class="inline-formula">−</span>18.0 m a<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>), and from 1974 to 2016 Yala Glacier retreated 346 m (<span class="inline-formula">−</span>8.2 m a<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>). The data of the annual and seasonal mass balances, point mass balance, geodetic mass balance, and length changes are accessible from the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS, 2021), <a href="https://doi.org/10.5904/wgms-fog-2021-05">https://doi.org/10.5904/wgms-fog-2021-05</a>.</p>https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/13/3791/2021/essd-13-3791-2021.pdf |
| spellingShingle | D. Stumm D. Stumm S. P. Joshi T. R. Gurung G. Silwal G. Silwal Mass balances of Yala and Rikha Samba glaciers, Nepal, from 2000 to 2017 Earth System Science Data |
| title | Mass balances of Yala and Rikha Samba glaciers, Nepal, from 2000 to 2017 |
| title_full | Mass balances of Yala and Rikha Samba glaciers, Nepal, from 2000 to 2017 |
| title_fullStr | Mass balances of Yala and Rikha Samba glaciers, Nepal, from 2000 to 2017 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mass balances of Yala and Rikha Samba glaciers, Nepal, from 2000 to 2017 |
| title_short | Mass balances of Yala and Rikha Samba glaciers, Nepal, from 2000 to 2017 |
| title_sort | mass balances of yala and rikha samba glaciers nepal from 2000 to 2017 |
| url | https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/13/3791/2021/essd-13-3791-2021.pdf |
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