Meteorological controls on glacier mass balance in High Asia

Abstract

The 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 458N and between 71 and 878 E and two others near 508 N, 878 E. Model error ranged between 0.19 and 0.41mw.e., comparable with the observational accuracy of Bs. Sensitivity to temperature change, dBs=dT, ranges between -0.5 and -0.2mw.e. a-1 °C -1 for these glaciers. © 2013 Publishing Technology.