A mass balance model with 25 m spatial resolution has been developed for the Morteratschgletscher by Lisette Klok.
Observational data from the stakes and the AWS were used for calibration. The model has been used to study
the sensitivity of the mass balance to climate change, and to recontstruct the mass balance back in time.
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| A mass-balance model for the Morteratschgletscher was developed by Lisette Klok. It is based on a
time-dependent calculation of the surface energy budget. |
Many process contribute to the energy budget of the glacier surface. The amount of absorbed solar radiation is particular difficult to calculate. | A study of Landsat images to find characteristic patterns of the surface albedo in spring, summer and fall. | Because the glacier flows in northerly direction from a high mountain crest, shading effects turn out to be very important. |
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| Simulation of the specific balance for the year 1999. | The performance of the model has been checked with stake measurements of ablation. The calculated equilibrium- line altitude is about 3000 m. | A simulation of the net balance of the Mortertaschgletscher for the period 1980-2002. A comparison has been made
with observations on nearby glaciers. |
The sensitivity of the mass balance to climate change - a few numbers. |