Centre de Recherche sur les Interactions Bassins
Versants – Écosystèmes Aquatiques (RIVE), Département des
Sciences de l'Environnement, Université du Québec à
Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, G8Z 4M3, Canada
Centre d'Études Nordiques (CEN), Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
Olivier Larouche
Centre de Recherche sur les Interactions Bassins
Versants – Écosystèmes Aquatiques (RIVE), Département des
Sciences de l'Environnement, Université du Québec à
Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, G8Z 4M3, Canada
Centre d'Études Nordiques (CEN), Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
Michael N. Demuth
Coldwater Laboratory, University of Saskatchewan, Canmore, Saskatchewan, T1W 3G1, Canada
This study implements a physically based, distributed glacier mass balance model in a context of sparse direct observations. Carefully constraining model parameters with ancillary data allowed for accurately reconstructing the mass balance of Saskatchewan Glacier over a 37-year period. We show that the mass balance sensitivity to warming is dominated by increased melting and that changes in glacier albedo and air humidity are the leading causes of increased glacier melt under warming scenarios.
This study implements a physically based, distributed glacier mass balance model in a context of...