Calculation of Mass Balance of Glaciers by Remote-Sensing Imagery Using Similarity of Accumulation and Ablation Isoline Patterns

Abstract

AbstractAn investigation of the combined heat, ice, and water balances was carried out in the Marukh glacier basin (west Caucasus) in 1966–67 to 1976–77, according to the International Hydrological Decade programme. Averaged glacier mass balance for these 11 years appears to be −55 g cm−2 year−1 according to stake measurements, and −51 g cm−2 year−1 according to geodetic measurements. The variability of accumulation is estimated as Cv = 0.15 and of ablation as Cv = 0.11. Thus, the variation in accumulation governs the oscillations in glacier balance. The inner nourishment of the glacier was also taken into account. The glacier mass balance is closely related to the relation between the accumulation and ablation areas. The “transient” values of both figures during the whole period of ablation can be used for this relation. The forms of the accumulation and ablation fields are similar from year to year and from one 10 day period to another. The areas of the accumulation and ablation zones are very different from one year to another. On the contrary, the average specific balance for each zone changes very little. One can use these features for the construction of accumulation, ablation, and specific mass-balance maps from satellite imagery. Mean values for the mass-balance terms occur in the vicinity of the equilibrium line. They can be calculated by using the air temperatures. Deviations from the means in different areas of the glacier determine the typical fields of the mass-balance terms.