Review
Environmental Sciences
Da Huo, Zhaohui Chi, Andong Ma
Summary: Research on surface processes of debris-covered glaciers is crucial for understanding the climate-glacier relationship, hydrological cycle, and natural hazards in High Mountain Asia. Numerical models play a significant role in studies due to the scarcity of long-term in situ data, but existing models have limitations in addressing coupled processes on debris-covered glaciers.
Article
Environmental Sciences
E. S. Miles, J. F. Steiner, P. Buri, W. W. Immerzeel, F. Pellicciotti
Summary: The study explores the impact of supraglacial debris, ice cliffs, and supraglacial ponds on glacier melt rates, highlighting the importance of considering these factors in global melt modeling. Results show that ice cliffs have a melt rate 2-3 times higher than clean glacier ice, with supraglacial ponds primarily influenced by latent heat exchange.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Purushottam Kumar Garg, Manish Mehta, Aparna Shukla, Pankaj Chauhan, Kapil Kesarwani, Sandipan Mukherjee
Summary: Supraglacial debris cover plays a significant role in shaping the dynamics of the Companion Glacier in the Central Himalaya. Field and remote sensing observations reveal that the glacier's geometry and area have remained relatively stable over the study period (2000-2020) due to the presence of thick debris and protected margins. The glacier also exhibits a less negative mass balance and an increase in average velocity compared to other glaciers in the region.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Da Huo, Michael P. Bishop, Andrew B. G. Bush
Summary: This paper discusses the complexity of debris-covered glacier systems, emphasizing the importance of understanding system couplings and feedbacks, and providing insights into controlling factors and glacial processes. The study finds that climate forcing, properties and transport of debris, topography, and supraglacial water bodies are key controlling factors in debris-covered glacier systems.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fang Chen, Jinxiao Wang, Bin Li, Aqiang Yang, Meimei Zhang
Summary: The aim of this study was to identify possible causes of thickness changes for Himalayan debris-covered glaciers. The results showed that the thickness changes were mainly influenced by debris thicknesses, ice cliffs and supraglacial lakes, with different dominant factors for different regions.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Naoki Sakurai, Chiyuki Narama, Mirlan Daiyrov, Muhammed Esenamanov, Zarylbek Usekov, Hiroshi Inoue
Summary: The study found that when one supraglacial lake drained, water levels in other lakes simultaneously increased, indicating water is shared through a main englacial conduit; in some cases, several lakes discharged simultaneously, suggesting they were connected to a main englacial conduit that had opened.
JOURNAL OF GLACIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Lavkush Kumar Patel, Parmanand Sharma, Ajit Singh, Sunil Oulkar, Bhanu Pratap, Meloth Thamban
Summary: The study revealed that glaciers in the Hindu-Kush Himalaya region have a large amount of debris cover in the ablation zone, which significantly slows down the ablation rate due to the increased thickness of supraglacial debris. Field measurements showed that approximately 15% of Chandra Basin is covered by supraglacial debris, with up to 90% debris cover in the ablation area of the studied glaciers.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Karla Boxall, Ian Willis, Alexandra Giese, Qiao Liu
Summary: The study identifies relationships between glacier supraglacial debris thickness and surface temperature, as well as the covariance of velocity and elevation, slope and aspect. The findings offer insights into predictive modeling and quantifying energy balance on debris-covered glaciers.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Grace L. Brown, Ben W. Brock
Summary: This study examines carbon fluxes on debris-covered glaciers and finds that carbon uptake is larger on thick debris compared to thin debris. It suggests that debris-covered glaciers play an important role in the global carbon cycle.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Saurabh Kaushik, Tejpal Singh, Anshuman Bhardwaj, Pawan K. Joshi, Andreas J. Dietz
Summary: This study proposes an automated scheme for supraglacial debris mapping using a synergistic approach of deep learning and multisource remote sensing data. The deep neural network, designed by choosing the optimum number and size of hidden layers, achieved a high accuracy of 96.3% over test data from various sites in the Himalayas and Karakoram region. These results demonstrate the potential for deep neural networks to automate debris-covered glacier mapping using multisource remote sensing data.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Pascal Buri, Evan S. Miles, Jakob F. Steiner, Silvan Ragettli, Francesca Pellicciotti
Summary: This study utilized a process-based model to calculate the impact of ice cliffs on the mass balance of all glaciers in a Himalayan catchment, revealing that the ice cliffs lead to higher thinning rates of debris-covered glacier tongues than expected, and underestimating glacier ice mass loss if not considered. Ice cliffs enhance melt in areas where other processes would suppress it, such as at high elevations or where debris is thick, and contribute significantly to glacier mass loss if oriented north.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
S. N. Remya, Tajdarul Hassan Syed, Anil Kulkarni, R. Anand
Summary: This study presents a detailed analysis of glaciers in the Alaknanda Basin, Central Himalaya, using high-resolution datasets. The results show that the glacier area has decreased and the number of glaciers has increased in the basin. There has also been a significant increase in the supraglacial debris cover extent of the glaciers. Smaller glaciers with lower altitude snout and higher slope have experienced more significant area loss and higher retreat rate, while topographic parameters and changes in winter-time temperature have influenced the deglaciation and fragmentation in the basin.
GEOCARTO INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
T. Postnikova, O. Rybak, A. Gubanov, H. Zekollari, M. Huss, M. Shahgedanova
Summary: This study introduces a physically-based model for the evolution of supraglacial debris in the Global Glacier Evolution Model, using the Caucasus as an example. The future evolution of glaciers in the region is assessed under different scenarios, highlighting the importance of limiting climate warming. The inclusion of debris cover in modeling improves the representation of glacier geometry locally.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Martin P. P. Kirkbride, Sophie C. C. Sherriff, Ann V. V. Rowan, David L. L. Egholm, Duncan J. J. Quincey, Evan Miles, Bryn Hubbard, Katie Miles
Summary: The origin of debris covers on high-elevation compound valley glaciers is influenced by melt-out of englacial debris and changing tributary supply. Geochemical analysis of debris samples from Khumbu Glacier in Nepal reveals differences in debris sources related to lithological variations. The dominance of ice sources has shifted from lower elevation tributaries to higher elevation catchments over time, indicating changes in the glacier's structure.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chunhai Xu, Zhongqin Li, Feiteng Wang, Jianxin Mu
Summary: A study on the Muz Taw Glacier in the Sawir Mountains reveals significant surface lowering and negative geodetic mass changes over the past three years, mainly influenced by factors such as altitude and ice thickness. Further high-resolution surveys are necessary to gain insight into mass balance processes and mechanisms.
