Automated ablation stakes to constrain temperature-index melt models

Abstract

We developed automated ablation stakes to measure colocated in-situ changes in ice-surface elevation and climatological drivers of ablation. The designs implement open-source hardware, including the Margay data logger, which records information from a MaxBotix ultrasonic rangefinder as well as a sensor to detect atmospheric temperature and relative humidity. The stakes and sensor mounts are assembled using commonly available building materials, including electrical conduit and plastic pipe. The frequent (typically 1–15 minute) measurement intervals permit an integral approach to estimating temperature-index melt factors for ablation. Regressions of ablation vs. climatological drivers improve when relative humidity is included alongside temperature. We present all materials required to construct an automated ablation stake, alongside examples of their deployment and use in Alaska (USA), Ecuador, Patagonia (Argentina), and the Antarctic archipelago. a: Alaska, 2012b: Alaska, 2013c: Ecuador, 2016d: Argentina, 2020e: Antarctica, 202