Articles | Volume 15, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3377-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3377-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
21 Jul 2021
Research article |
| 21 Jul 2021
| 21 Jul 2021
Modelling steady states and the transient response of debris-covered glaciers
James C. Ferguson
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Andreas Vieli
Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Short summary
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As mountain glaciers are retreating, they are becoming increasingly debris-covered. We want to better understand how these glaciers respond to a changing climate. For this purpose, we present a new model that simulates transport of debris within and on the glacier. Our key findings are that short-term changes have a low impact, while long-term warming can lead to fast collapse of the glacier tongue after a phase of thinning, where the observed expansion and thickening of debris cover occurs.
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As mountain glaciers are retreating, they are becoming increasingly debris-covered. We want to better understand how these glaciers respond to a changing climate. For this purpose, we present a new model that simulates transport of debris within and on the glacier. Our key findings are that short-term changes have a low impact, while long-term warming can lead to fast collapse of the glacier tongue after a phase of thinning, where the observed expansion and thickening of debris cover occurs.
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Short summary
Debris-covered glaciers have a greater extent than their debris-free counterparts due to insulation from the debris cover. However, the transient response to climate change remains poorly understood. We use a numerical model that couples ice dynamics and debris transport and varies the climate signal. We find that debris cover delays the transient response, especially for the extent. However, adding cryokarst features near the terminus greatly enhances the response.
Debris-covered glaciers have a greater extent than their debris-free counterparts due to...
