Meteorological controls on glacier mass balance in High Asia

Abstract

AbstractThe aim of this study is to investigate spatial and temporal variations of meteorological variables known to control glacier mass-balance processes, and to demonstrate their relevance in High Asia. The study uses the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis database (US National Centers for Environmental Prediction and US National Center for Atmospheric Research), which is global and continuous since 1 January 1948. A positive degree-day (PDD) model of annual glacier-wide summer surface balance, Bs, uses upper-air temperatures at NCEP/NCAR gridpoints near each of six glaciers between 40 and 45° N and between 71 and 87°E and two others near 50° N, 87° E. Model error ranged between 0.19 and 0.41 mw.e., comparable with the observational accuracy of Bs. Sensitivity to temperature change, dBs=dT, ranges between –0.5 and –0.2 m w.e. a–1 °C–1 for these glaciers.