Abstract
A long-series mass balance (MB) of glaciers can be used to study glacier–climate relationships. Using a distributed simplified energy balance model (SEBM) and an enhanced temperature-index model (ETIM), the MB of Laohugou Glacier No. 12 (LHG12) was reconstructed from 1980 to 2020, driven by a calibrated ERA5 reanalysis dataset. The simulation of SEBM performs better than that of ETIM. The results showed that the annual MB of LGH12 is a fluctuating trend of declining from 1980 to 2020, with annual means of −0.39 ± 0.28 m w.e. a−1 and cumulative value of −16 ± 4 m w.e. During 1980–1990, the annual MB fluctuated in a small range, while after 1990, LHG12 accelerated melting owing to rising air temperature, with annual means of −0.48 m w.e. a−1, three times as large as that of 1980–1990. The largest mass loss occurred during 2001–2010 at an average rate of −0.57 m w.e. a−1. The average equilibrium line altitude (ELA) was 4976 m a.s.l., and since 1980, the ELA has been increasing at a rate of 37.5 m/10 a. LHG12 is most sensitive to air temperature, and the MB sensitivity reaches −0.51 m w.e. a−1 with air temperature increase of 1 °C. The sensitivity of MB to incoming shortwave radiation (+10%) simulated by SEBM is −0.30 m w.e. a−1, three times larger than that simulated by ETIM. This is mainly because the two models have different conditions for controlling melting. Melting is controlled only by air temperature for ETIM, while for SEBM, it is controlled by air temperature and incoming shortwave radiation.
Funder
Natural Science Foundation of China
Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research
Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province
Subject
General Earth and Planetary Sciences
Cited by
1 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献