Articles | Volume 20, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-4927-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-4927-2026
Research article
 | 
01 Sep 2026
Research article |  | 01 Sep 2026

Annual changes in firn density and compaction under Alpine Climate conditions: first multi-year CMP radar observations from the Grosser Aletschgletscher

Akash M. Patil, Christoph Mayer, Theo M. Jenk, Astrid Lambrecht, Thorsten Seehaus, Alexander R. Groos, and Michelle Worek

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Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2026-1721', Anonymous Referee #1, 24 May 2026
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Akash Patil, 24 Jun 2026
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2026-1721', Anonymous Referee #2, 08 Jun 2026
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Akash Patil, 24 Jun 2026

Peer review completion

AR – Author's response | RR – Referee report | ED – Editor decision | EF – Editorial file upload
ED: Submit a revised manuscript (29 Jun 2026) by Horst Machguth
AR by Akash Patil on behalf of the Authors (29 Jul 2026)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (31 Jul 2026) by Horst Machguth
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (31 Jul 2026)
ED: Publish as is (18 Aug 2026) by Horst Machguth
AR by Akash Patil on behalf of the Authors (20 Aug 2026)  Manuscript 
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Short summary
Our study focused on understanding how a warming climate affects the Aletsch Glacier accumulation area. We used multi-year radar measurements and direct firn‑core analyses to estimate changes in density and compaction rate of snow-to-ice over a year. Our results show that the upper layers of the glacier are changing faster due to stronger summer melt in the lower parts of the accumulation zone. Our findings help to improve firn densification models and glacier mass-balance estimation.
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