The Cryosphere
The Cryosphere
TC
Articles | Volume 11, issue 1
Articles | Volume 11, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-191-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-191-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Articles | Volume 11, issue 1
Research article
 | 
26 Jan 2017
Research article |  | 26 Jan 2017

Diagnosing the decline in climatic mass balance of glaciers in Svalbard over 1957–2014

Torbjørn Ims Østby, Thomas Vikhamar Schuler, Jon Ove Hagen, Regine Hock, Jack Kohler, and Carleen H. Reijmer

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-191-2017-supplement

Data sets

ERA-40 and ERA-Interim data ECMWF http://apps.ecmwf.int/datasets/

MODIS surface Albedo National Snow and Ice Data Center ftp://n5eil01u.ecs.nsidc.org/SAN/

MODIS surface temperatures Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center https://e4ftl01.cr.usgs.gov/MODIS_Dailies_E/

Weather station data Norwegian Meteorological Office http://eklima. met.no

Weather station data University Centre of Svalbard http://www.unis.no/resources/weather-stations/

Basic and other measurements of radiation from the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) Station Ny-Ålesund in the years 1992 to 2013 M. Maturilli, A. Herber, and G. König-Langlo https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.150000

Glacier outlines and digital elevation models C. Nuth http://glims.org/RGI/rgi50_files/07_rgi50_Svalbard.zip

Glacier-wide mass balances World Glacier Monitoring Service http://wgms.ch/latest-glacier-mass-balance-data/

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Short summary
We present modelled climatic mass balance for all glaciers in Svalbard for the period 1957–2014 at 1 km resolution using a coupled surface energy balance and snowpack model, thereby closing temporal and spatial gaps in direct and geodetic mass balance estimates. Supporting previous studies, our results indicate increased mass loss over the period. A detailed analysis of the involved energy fluxes reveals that increased mass loss is caused by atmospheric warming further amplified by feedbacks.
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