An 11-year record of wintertime snow-surface energy balance and sublimation at 4863 m a.s.l. on the Chhota Shigri Glacier moraine (western Himalaya, India)
<p>Analysis of surface energy balance (SEB) at the glacier/snow surface is the most comprehensive way to explain the atmosphere–glacier/snow interactions, but that requires extensive data. In this study, we have analysed an 11-year (2009–2020) record of the meteorological dataset from an autom...
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| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2022-09-01
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| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/16/3775/2022/tc-16-3775-2022.pdf |
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| author | A. Mandal A. Mandal T. Angchuk M. F. Azam A. Ramanathan P. Wagnon M. Soheb C. Singh |
| author_facet | A. Mandal A. Mandal T. Angchuk M. F. Azam A. Ramanathan P. Wagnon M. Soheb C. Singh |
| author_sort | A. Mandal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Analysis of surface energy balance (SEB) at the glacier/snow surface is the most comprehensive way to explain the atmosphere–glacier/snow
interactions, but that requires extensive data. In this study, we have analysed an 11-year (2009–2020) record of the meteorological dataset from
an automatic weather station installed at 4863 <span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow class="unit"><mi mathvariant="normal">m</mi><mspace linebreak="nobreak" width="0.125em"/><mi mathvariant="normal">a</mi><mo>.</mo><mi mathvariant="normal">s</mi><mo>.</mo><mi mathvariant="normal">l</mi><mo>.</mo></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="36pt" height="10pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="449154fd9f0f8226f703b21bfe939dc2"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="tc-16-3775-2022-ie00001.svg" width="36pt" height="10pt" src="tc-16-3775-2022-ie00001.png"/></svg:svg></span></span> (above sea level) on a lateral moraine of the Chhota Shigri Glacier, western Himalaya. The study was
carried out over the winter months (December to April) to understand SEB drivers and snow loses through sublimation. Furthermore, this study
examines the role of cloud cover on SEB and turbulent heat fluxes. The turbulent heat fluxes were calculated using the bulk-aerodynamic method,
including stability corrections. The net short-wave radiation was the primary energy source. However, the turbulent heat fluxes dissipated a
significant amount of energy. The cloud cover plays an important role in limiting the incoming short-wave radiation by about 70 %. It also
restricts the turbulent heat fluxes by more than 60 %, resulting in lower snow sublimation. During winter, turbulent latent heat flux
contributed the largest proportion (64 %) in the total SEB, followed by net radiation (25 %) and sensible heat flux (11 %). Sublimation
rates were 3 times higher in clear-sky than overcast conditions, indicating a strong role of cloud cover in shaping favourable conditions for
turbulent latent heat flux by modulating the near-surface boundary layer conditions. Dry air, along with high snow-surface temperature and wind
speed, favours sublimation. Besides, we also observed that strong and cold winds, possibly through mid-latitude western disturbances, impede
sublimation by bringing high moisture content to the region and cooling the snow surface. The estimated snow sublimation fraction was
16 %–42 % of the total winter snowfall at the study site. This study substantiates that the snow sublimation is an essential variable to be
considered in glaciohydrological modelling at the high-mountain Himalayan glacierised catchments.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T11:22:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-542586ed2127474a893ecce96aaa0a9a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T11:22:36Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Cryosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-542586ed2127474a893ecce96aaa0a9a2022-12-22T04:26:40ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe Cryosphere1994-04161994-04242022-09-01163775379910.5194/tc-16-3775-2022An 11-year record of wintertime snow-surface energy balance and sublimation at 4863 m a.s.l. on the Chhota Shigri Glacier moraine (western Himalaya, India)A. Mandal0A. Mandal1T. Angchuk2M. F. Azam3A. Ramanathan4P. Wagnon5M. Soheb6C. Singh7School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, IndiaInterdisciplinary Centre for Water Research, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, IndiaDST's Centre of Excellence, Department of Geology, Sikkim University, Gangtok 737102, IndiaDepartment of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Simrol 453552, IndiaSchool of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, IndiaUniversité Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, IGE, 38000 Grenoble, FranceSchool of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, IndiaSchool of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India<p>Analysis of surface energy balance (SEB) at the glacier/snow surface is the most comprehensive way to explain the atmosphere–glacier/snow interactions, but that requires extensive data. In this study, we have analysed an 11-year (2009–2020) record of the meteorological dataset from an automatic weather station installed at 4863 <span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow class="unit"><mi mathvariant="normal">m</mi><mspace linebreak="nobreak" width="0.125em"/><mi mathvariant="normal">a</mi><mo>.</mo><mi mathvariant="normal">s</mi><mo>.</mo><mi mathvariant="normal">l</mi><mo>.</mo></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="36pt" height="10pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="449154fd9f0f8226f703b21bfe939dc2"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="tc-16-3775-2022-ie00001.svg" width="36pt" height="10pt" src="tc-16-3775-2022-ie00001.png"/></svg:svg></span></span> (above sea level) on a lateral moraine of the Chhota Shigri Glacier, western Himalaya. The study was carried out over the winter months (December to April) to understand SEB drivers and snow loses through sublimation. Furthermore, this study examines the role of cloud cover on SEB and turbulent heat fluxes. The turbulent heat fluxes were calculated using the bulk-aerodynamic method, including stability corrections. The net short-wave radiation was the primary energy source. However, the turbulent heat fluxes dissipated a significant amount of energy. The cloud cover plays an important role in limiting the incoming short-wave radiation by about 70 %. It also restricts the turbulent heat fluxes by more than 60 %, resulting in lower snow sublimation. During winter, turbulent latent heat flux contributed the largest proportion (64 %) in the total SEB, followed by net radiation (25 %) and sensible heat flux (11 %). Sublimation rates were 3 times higher in clear-sky than overcast conditions, indicating a strong role of cloud cover in shaping favourable conditions for turbulent latent heat flux by modulating the near-surface boundary layer conditions. Dry air, along with high snow-surface temperature and wind speed, favours sublimation. Besides, we also observed that strong and cold winds, possibly through mid-latitude western disturbances, impede sublimation by bringing high moisture content to the region and cooling the snow surface. The estimated snow sublimation fraction was 16 %–42 % of the total winter snowfall at the study site. This study substantiates that the snow sublimation is an essential variable to be considered in glaciohydrological modelling at the high-mountain Himalayan glacierised catchments.</p>https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/16/3775/2022/tc-16-3775-2022.pdf |
| spellingShingle | A. Mandal A. Mandal T. Angchuk M. F. Azam A. Ramanathan P. Wagnon M. Soheb C. Singh An 11-year record of wintertime snow-surface energy balance and sublimation at 4863 m a.s.l. on the Chhota Shigri Glacier moraine (western Himalaya, India) The Cryosphere |
| title | An 11-year record of wintertime snow-surface energy balance and sublimation at 4863 m a.s.l. on the Chhota Shigri Glacier moraine (western Himalaya, India) |
| title_full | An 11-year record of wintertime snow-surface energy balance and sublimation at 4863 m a.s.l. on the Chhota Shigri Glacier moraine (western Himalaya, India) |
| title_fullStr | An 11-year record of wintertime snow-surface energy balance and sublimation at 4863 m a.s.l. on the Chhota Shigri Glacier moraine (western Himalaya, India) |
| title_full_unstemmed | An 11-year record of wintertime snow-surface energy balance and sublimation at 4863 m a.s.l. on the Chhota Shigri Glacier moraine (western Himalaya, India) |
| title_short | An 11-year record of wintertime snow-surface energy balance and sublimation at 4863 m a.s.l. on the Chhota Shigri Glacier moraine (western Himalaya, India) |
| title_sort | 11 year record of wintertime snow surface energy balance and sublimation at 4863 thinsp m thinsp a s l on the chhota shigri glacier moraine western himalaya india |
| url | https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/16/3775/2022/tc-16-3775-2022.pdf |
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