Memorias de investigación
Communications at congresses:
Ice volume estimates from ground-penetrating radar surveys, Wedel Jarlsberg Land glaciers, Svalbard
Year:2013
Research Areas
  • Earth sciences
Information
Abstract
One of the aims of the SvalGlac project is to obtain an improved estimate, with reliable error estimates, of the volume of Svalbard glaciers and their potential contribution to sea level rise. As part of this work, we present volume calculations, with detailed error estimates, for eight glaciers on Wedel Jarlsberg Land, southern Spitsbergen, Svalbard. The volume estimates are based upon a dense net of GPR-retrieved ice thickness data collected over several field campaigns spanning the period 2004-2011. The total area and volume of the ensemble are 502.9±18.6 km2 and 80.72±2.85 km3, respectively. Excluding Ariebreen (a tiny glacier, < 0.4 km2 in area), the individual areas, volumes and average ice thickness lie within 4.7-141.0 km2, 0.30-25.85 km3 and 64-183 m, respectively. The maximum recorded ice thickness, ca. 619±13 m, is found in Austre Torellbreen. To estimate the ice volume of small non-echo-sounded tributary glaciers, we used a function providing the best fit to the ice thickness along the centre line of a collection of such tributaries where echo-soundings were available, and assuming parabolic cross-sections. We did some tests on the effect on the measured ice volumes of the distinct radio-wave velocity (RWV) of firn as compared to ice, and cold versus temperate ice, concluding that the changes in volume implied by such corrections were within the error bounds of our volume estimate using a constant RWV for the entire glacier inferred from common mid-point measurements on the upper ablation area.
International
Si
Congress
International Arctic Science Committee - Network on Arctic Glaciology, 2013 Annual Meeting
960
Place
Obergurgl, Austria
Reviewers
Si
ISBN/ISSN
978-90-393-6003-3
Start Date
26/02/2013
End Date
28/02/2013
From page
52
To page
52
IASC Workshop on the dynamics and mass budget of Arctic glaciers - Abstracts and program. IASC Network on Arctic Glaciology
Participants
Research Group, Departaments and Institutes related
  • Creador: Grupo de Investigación: Grupo de Simulación Numérica en Ciencias e Ingeniería
  • Departamento: Matemática Aplicada a las Tecnologías de la Información