Borehole temperatures at the Colle Gnifetti core-drilling site (Monte Rosa, Swiss Alps)

Abstract

AbstractMeasured englacial temperatures at the Colle Gnifetti core-drilling site are presented and compared with model calculations concerning possible effects of 20th century warming. The firn/ice saddle at the 124 m deep saddle borehole is cold throughout with a mean annual surface temperature near –14°C and a basal temperature slightly below –12°C. Influence of refreezing meltwater is weak and limited to near-surface formation of ice layers (recrystallization-infiltration). Temperature gradients in the saddle borehole are positive and increase from 0.015° to 0.019°C m−1between 30 m depth and bedrock, corresponding to a mean vertical heat flow of around 50mWm−2. The observed temperature profile is close to steady-state conditions. It can well be reproduced with time-dependent model calculations using mean annual air temperatures from the nearby weather station of Grand St. Bernard within the main chain of the Swiss Alps, but it significantly deviates from similar calculations based on Säntis data, reflecting developments of air temperatures on the northern slope of the Alps. 20th century warming of cold Alpine firn seems to be much less pronounced than in polar areas, where strong heat-flow anomalies are commonly observed.