The World's Glaciers

[Gray-Wolf]

Yes Four ,we do. We had an ice age , it warmed to the climatic optimum and then began cooling. Suddenly, even with orbital forcings favouring cooling ,we began to warm....... go figure.

[knocker]

Tibet's glaciers at their warmest in 2,000 years - report

http://www.trust.org/item/20140814040803-dnqf3/?source=shtw

[knocker]

Glacier dynamics at Helheim and Kangerdlugssuaq glaciers, southeast Greenland, since the Little Ice Age

 

Abstract. Observations over the past decade show significant ice loss associated with the speed-up of glaciers in southeast Greenland from 2003, followed by a deceleration from 2006. These short-term, episodic, dynamic perturbations have a major impact on the mass balance on the decadal scale. To improve the projection of future sea level rise, a long-term data record that reveals the mass balance beyond such episodic events is required. Here, we extend the observational record of marginal thinning of Helheim and Kangerdlugssuaq glaciers from 10 to more than 80 years. We show that, although the frontal portion of Helheim Glacier thinned by more than 100 m between 2003 and 2006, it thickened by more than 50 m during the previous two decades. In contrast, Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier underwent minor thinning of 40–50 m from 1981 to 1998 and major thinning of more than 100 m after 2003. Extending the record back to the end of the Little Ice Age (prior to 1930) shows no thinning of Helheim Glacier from its maximum extent during the Little Ice Age to 1981, while Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier underwent substantial thinning of 230 to 265 m. Comparison of sub-surface water temperature anomalies and variations in air temperature to records of thickness and velocity change suggest that both glaciers are highly sensitive to short-term atmospheric and ocean forcing, and respond very quickly to small fluctuations. On century timescales, however, multiple external parameters (e.g. outlet glacier shape) may dominate the mass change. These findings suggest that special care must be taken in the projection of future dynamic ice loss.

 

http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/1497/2014/tc-8-1497-2014.pdf

[drgl]

Yes Four ,we do. We had an ice age , it warmed to the climatic optimum and then began cooling. Suddenly, even with orbital forcings favouring cooling ,we began to warm....... go figure.

Orbital forcings favouring cooling? Some seem to believe the current orbit is in a cooling phase while other sources claim not for another 30,000 years. 

[4wd]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-28885119 

 

 

Hazards common in arctic and alpine areas but described as "extremely unusual" in the UK during the summer have been found on Ben Nevis.

A team of climbers and scientists investigating the mountain's North Face said snowfields remained in many gullies and upper scree slopes.

On these fields, they have come across compacted, dense, ice hard snow call neve.

Neve is the first stage in the formation of glaciers, the team said.

The team has also encountered sheets of snow weighing hundreds of tonnes and tunnels and fissures known as bergschrunds.

Something is going on, and it ain't warming.

[knocker]

Lower Curtis Glacier Annual Survey 1984-2012

[knocker]

Blaueis Gletscher Retreat, Bavaria Germany

 

The Blaueis Gletscher is the furthest north glacier in the Alps.  It occupies a narrow deep valley oriented north, between the summits of Blaueisspitze and Hochkalter. Hagg et al (2012) in an examination of Bavarian glaciers over the last 120 years note the changes in area of Blaueis Gletscher.  The glacier increased in area from 16 to 20 hectares during the 1889 to 1924.  Retreat from 1924 to 1970 led to a decrease in area to 12.6 hectares.  Advance in the 1970’s increased the area back to 16 hectares by 1980.  Since 1980 rapid area loss to 7.5 hectares by 2009.  This rapid loss has led to many media reports of the imminent loss of the glacier. Here we examine imagery of the glacier from 1982-2014 to identify its current status.  In 1982 the glacier consisted of the main upper reach and a thin lower ice in a photograph from R. Drescher from the Bayerische Gletscher website.  By 2005 the thin lower ice has declined in area and thickness and is not  connected to the upper glacier allowing ice transfer. There is some fringing thinner ice in 2005 on the lower margin of the upper ice.  By 2009 the thin marginal ice at the downhill end of the upper glacier, has declined and become largely detached from the main glacier.  A closeup in 2009 indicates the glacier has 45-48 annual layers of accumulation exposed at the glacier surface.  This image indicates that no recent accumulation has been retained as all of the layers are blue ice and no snow or recent firn exists on the  upper glacier.  A glacier without consistent accumulation cannot survive (Pelto, 2010).  This survival forecast method does not detail how long it will take to disappear. The number of annual layers exposed indicates the glacier thickness is still significant, further the location precludes rapid melt.  Thickness maps from 2007, from the Bayerische Gletscher group, indicate the main upper ice is 5-10 m thick, with some areas over 10 m thick, based on radio echo sounding. Based on the number of annual layers and lack of crevassing reaching the glacier base, it seems to me the average thickness is somewhat greater. Glacier’s that I have worked on develop significant crevasses that reach the glacier base as the thickness drops below 10 m. Using typical volume-area scaling coefficients suggest the average thickness to be 12-15 m. There is a webcam at the Blaueis Hut that indicates the glacier today 8/22/2014 still has substantial snowcover. With the current climate this glacier in the least exposed niche on the mountain should be able to endure more than a decade.

Edited August 23, 2014 by knocker

[blitzen]

Wondering if this merits consideration Knocker?

 

http://iceagenow.info/2014/08/evidence-new-present-day-glaciation-scotland/

 

(Full report given on the BBC link with the article)

Edited August 23, 2014 by Blitzen

[BornFromTheVoid]

Wondering if this merits consideration Knocker?

 

http://iceagenow.info/2014/08/evidence-new-present-day-glaciation-scotland/

 

(Full report given on the BBC link with the article)

 

Snow patches lasting through summer are fairly common in Scotland. There have been several Scottish mountain snow patches threads in the weather discussion area over the years, where people have conducted summer surveys and had their findings reported. I think the current survey is just considered new because it was a scientific survey, and iceagenow is kind of a spoof site and claims that every (exaggerated) snow or cold event is evidence of the coming ice age! 

 

http://forum.netweather.tv/topic/73464-snow-patches-on-scottish-mountains/page-7?hl=%2Bscottish+%2Bmountain#entry2857876

There was even quite a few left last year!

 

From firefly in the link above

"The patch of snow in the middle (Sphinx) is the most durable in the UK. It has melted just 6 times since the 1700s at least (1933, 1953, 1959, 1996, 2003, 2006). I suspect that, although only 8 metres across at its widest, it will last until the new snows of winter. The lower patch (Pinnacles) was 21 metres long at the time the photo was taken."

Edited August 23, 2014 by BornFromTheVoid

[knocker]

Wondering if this merits consideration Knocker?

 

http://iceagenow.info/2014/08/evidence-new-present-day-glaciation-scotland/

 

(Full report given on the BBC link with the article)

 

Yes it's all of interest Blitzen.

 

EDIT. Whoops I see BFTV has already replied.

Edited August 23, 2014 by knocker

[4wd]

The snow mentioned in the report is not normal snow patches, but has converted into the first stage of glacier ice.It doesn't signify a new ice age or imminent re-glaciation of The Highlands, but it is interesting to see how quickly permanent ice field and small glaciers could potentially start to form.I would think flowing glacier ice would be possible within a decade.It's a pity the area was not better documented during the Little Ice Age. 

[4wd]

It's also a good example of how snow, ice and glaciers depend as much if not more on amounts and timing of  precipitation rather than temperatures.

[BornFromTheVoid]

It's also a good example of how snow, ice and glaciers depend as much if not more on amounts and timing of  precipitation rather than temperatures.

 

Temperature increases will help with snowfall up to a point, when it turns warm enough to melt snow/ice and when the snow turns to rain. 

 

We can see this difference currently in Antarctica. The lower, warmer section of the ice sheet in the west is melting while the higher, colder section in the east gains mass (ocean temperatures play a role there too, of course).

 

Surveys like this would have been fascinating in the LIA, agreed. I'd imagine several glacier-like features would have been found then.

 

 

I think this survey demonstrates more the importance monitoring these things in a more consistent manner.

[blitzen]

Thanks for the comments gents.

[blitzen]

 iceagenow is kind of a spoof site and claims that every (exaggerated) snow or cold event is evidence of the coming ice age! 

 

Yes, I kind of thought this BFTV. That's why I thought it better to highlight the link to the BBC.

 

 

[Gray-Wolf]

Did we not become 'snow free' in both 03' and 06'? I seem to remember the snow patch watch covering the last of the scots cwms melting out???

[knocker]

Decker Glacier lake at Whistler a sign of melt to come

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/decker-glacier-lake-at-whistler-a-sign-of-melt-to-come-1.2745216

[knocker]

Athabasca Glacier: a tragic vanishing act

[4wd]

 

Athabasca Glacier: a tragic vanishing act

 

Why is it 'Tragic' ?

[Devonian]

Why is it 'Tragic' ?

 Humm, because it's the authors opinion. We don't have glaciers here in Devon. We do have similarly special places I'd be sad to see be damaged or vanish. I think if Exeter cathedral was knocked down to build a car park it would be a tragedy, or if the cliffs of east Devon were levelled likewise, or if the magnificent Valley of the higher Okement river was dammed and flooded likewise. I like to think you'd be sad to see similar happen to the NYMs. Edited August 27, 2014 by Devonian

[knocker]

North Cascade Glacier Climate Project 2014 Field Season (31st Annual) Preliminary Results

[knocker]

Vasilievbreen Glacier Retreat, Svalbard

[knocker]

Fraser Glacier, Separation and Retreat Alberta

 

Fraser Glacier, Alberta on the southern flank of Bennington Peak in Jasper National Park drains into the Athabasca River not the Fraser River. The glacier was reported in the USGS satellite image atlas as having a length of 3.5 km in the 1970’s. In Canadian Topographic maps the glacier extends for over 3.0 km from 2900 m to 2200 m. Today the glacier is barely half that length. The glacier first separated and then the lower section has now melted away. Here we use Google Earth and Landsat imagery from 1996 to 2014 to identify the changes. Bolch et al (2010) noted that from 1985-200 Alberta Glaciers lost 25% of their area. Tennant et al (2012) noted that from 1919-2006 the glaciers in the central and southern Canadian Rocky Mountains lost 40% of their area. Of the 523 glaciers they observed 17 disappeared and 124 separated, Fraser Glacier falls into the latter category.

[knocker]

Boston Glacier Retreat, North Cascade Range, Washington

[knocker]

Whitney Glacier Retreat and Thinning, Mount Shasta, California