The Cryosphere
The Cryosphere
TC
Articles | Volume 19, issue 7
Articles | Volume 19, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2715-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2715-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 19, issue 7
Research article
 | 
31 Jul 2025
Research article |  | 31 Jul 2025

Numerical study of the error sources in the experimental estimation of thermal diffusivity: an application to debris-covered glaciers

Calvin Beck and Lindsey Nicholson

Viewed

Total article views: 4,416 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total BibTeX EndNote
3,477 768 171 4,416 208 293
  • HTML: 3,477
  • PDF: 768
  • XML: 171
  • Total: 4,416
  • BibTeX: 208
  • EndNote: 293
Views and downloads (calculated since 27 Nov 2023)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 27 Nov 2023)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 4,416 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 4,367 with geography defined and 49 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 

Saved (final revised paper)

Latest update: 06 May 2026
Download
Short summary
A glacier's debris cover strongly modifies its mass balance in contrast to a clean-ice glacier. A key parameter for calculating sub-debris melt is the thermal diffusivity of the debris layer. Conway and Rasmussen (2000) present a method to estimate this value based on simple heat diffusion principles. Our analysis shows that the selected temporal and spatial sampling intervals affect the estimated value of thermal diffusivity, resulting in glacier melt being systematically underestimated.
Read more
Share