Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A distributed surface energy and mass balance model and its application to a mountain glacier in China

  • Articles
  • Special Topic Glacial Retreat and Its Impact on Lakes in Tibetan Plateau
  • Published:
Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

Based on the field observations on Qiyi Glacier during the warm season of 2007, using a digital elevation model (DEM, 15 m resolution), we developed a distributed surface energy- and mass-balance model with an hourly resolution. The model described the effect of topography on shortwave solar radiation, and used a new parameterization for glacier albedo. The model was applied to Qiyi Glacier in the Qilian Mountain, China, for the period 20: 00 30 June to 12: 00 10 October 2007, to simulate the firn-line changes, the temporal and spatial variations of mass balance, and the glacial meltwater runoff. The results indicated that the patterns of altitudinal profile of glacier mass-balance were affected mainly by the altitudinal profile of albedo, and the status of the glacier mass balance was influenced directly by the values of albedo. The parameter sensitivity test showed that the model was sensitive to the air temperature lapse rate and precipitation gradient, and also sensitive to the threshold temperature for solid/liquid precipitation. Furthermore, the climate sensitivity test showed that the mass balance was more sensitive to air temperature than precipitation, and the response of mass balance to air temperature change was nonlinear while the response to precipitation change linearly. The negative mass balance trend of the glacier can not be reversed when precipitation increases by 20% and meanwhile air temperature rises by 1°C.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Xie Z. Mass balance of glaciers and its relationship with characteristics of glaciers (in Chinese). J Glaciol Geocryol, 1980, 2: 1–10

    Google Scholar 

  2. Oerlemans J. Climate sensitivity of glaciers in southern Norway: Application of an energy-balance model to Nigardsbreen, Hellstugubreen and Alfotbreen. J Glaciol, 1992, 38: 223–232

    Google Scholar 

  3. Klok E J, Oerlemans J. Model study of the spatial distribution of the energy and mass balance of Morteratschgletscher, Switzerland. J Glaciol, 2002, 48: 505–518

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Steffen K. Surface energy exchange at the equilibrium line on the Greenland ice sheet during onset of melt. Ann Glaciol, 1995, 21: 13–18

    Google Scholar 

  5. Escher-Vetter H. Energy balance calculations for the ablation period 1982 at Vernagtferner, Oetzal Alps. Ann Glaciol, 1985, 6: 158–160

    Google Scholar 

  6. Gardiner M J, Ellis-Evans J C, Anderson M G, et al. Snowmelt modelling on Signy Island, South Orkney Islands. Ann Glaciol, 1998, 26: 161–166

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ma H, Liu Z, Liu Y. Energy balance of a snow cover and simulation of snowmelt in the western Tianshan Mountains, China. Ann Glaciol, 1991, 16: 73–78

    Google Scholar 

  8. Ohta T. A distributed snowmelt prediction model in mountain areas based on an energy balance method. Ann Glaciol, 1994, 19: 107–113

    Google Scholar 

  9. Zuo Z, Oerlemans J. Modelling albedo and specific balance of the Greenland ice Sheet: Calculations for the Søndre Strømfjord transect. J Glaciol, 1996, 42: 305–317

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hock R. A distributed temperature-index ice- and snowmelt model including potential direct solar radiation. J Glaciol, 1999, 45: 101–111

    Google Scholar 

  11. Hock R. Temperature index melt modelling in mountain areas. J Hydrol, 2003, 282: 104–115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Braithwaite R J. Positive degree-day factors for ablation on the Greenland ice sheet studied by energy-balance modelling. J Glaciol, 1995, 41: 153–160

    Google Scholar 

  13. Braithwaite R J, Zhang Y. Sensitivity of mass balance of five Swiss glaciers to temperature changes assessed by tuning a degree-day model. J Glaciol, 2000, 46: 7–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Arnold N S, Willis I C, Sharp M J, et al. A distributed surface energy-balance model for a small valley glacier. I. Development and testing for Haut Glacier d’Arolla, Valais, Switzerland. J Glaciol, 1996, 42: 77–89

    Google Scholar 

  15. Braithwaite R J, Konzelmann T, Marty C, et al. Reconnaissance study of glacier energy balance in North Greenland, 1993–94. J Glaciol, 1998, 44: 239–247

    Google Scholar 

  16. Brock B W, Willis I C, Sharp M J, et al. Modelling seasonal and spatial variations in the surface energy balance of Haut Glacier d’Arolla, Switzerland. Ann Glaciol, 2000, 31: 53–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Hock R, Holmgren B. A distributed surface energy-balance model for complex topography and its application to Storglaciären, Sweden. J Glaciol, 2005, 51: 25–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Andreassen L M, Van Den Broeke M R, Giesen R H, et al. A 5-year record of surface energy and mass balance from the ablation zone of Storbreen, Norway. J Glaciol, 2008, 54: 245–258, doi: 10.3189/002214308784886199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Hock R. Glacier melt: A review of processes and their modelling. Prog Phys Geog, 2005, 29: 362–391

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Zhang Y, Liu S. Progress of the application of degree-day model to study glaciers and snow cover (in Chinese). J Glaciol Geocryol, 2006, 28: 101–107

    Google Scholar 

  21. Zhang Y, Liu S Y, Ding Y J, et al. Preliminary study of mass balance on the Keqicar Baxi Glacier on the south slopes of Tianshan Mountains (in Chinese). J Glaciol Geocryol, 2006, 28: 477–484

    Google Scholar 

  22. Zhang Y, Liu S Y, ShangGuan D H, et al. Study of the positive degree-day factors on the Koxkar Baqi Glacier on the south slope of Tianshan Mountains (in Chinese). J Glaciol Geocryol, 2005, 27: 337–343

    Google Scholar 

  23. Liu S Y, Ding Y J, Wang N L, et al. Mass balance sensitivity to climate change of the Glacier No. 1 at the Urumqi River Head, Tianshan Mts. (in Chinese). J Glaciol Geocryol, 1998, 20: 9–13

    Google Scholar 

  24. Brubaker K, Rango A, Kustas W. Incorporating radiation inputs into the snowmelt runoff model. Hydrol Process, 1996, 10: 1329–1343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Dadic R, Corripio J G, Burlando P. Mass-balance estimates for Haut Glacier d’Arolla, Switzerland, from 2000 to 2006 using DEMs and distributed mass-balance modeling. Ann Glaciol, 2008, 49: 22–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Reijmer C H, Hock R. Internal accumulation on Storglaciaren, Sweden, in a multi-layer snow model coupled to a distributed energy- and mass-balance model. J Glaciol, 2008, 54: 61–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Fujita K, Ageta Y. Effect of summer accumulation on glacier mass balance on the Tibetan Plateau revealed by mass-balance model. J Glaciol, 2000, 46: 244–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Pu J, Yao T, Duan K, et al. Mass balance of the Qiyi Glacier in the Qilian Mountains: A New Observation (in Chinese). J Glaciol Geocryol, 2005, 27: 199–204

    Google Scholar 

  29. Yang D, Shi Y, Kang E, et al. Research on analysis and correction of systematic errors in precipitation measurement in Urumqi River basin, Tianshan. In: Proceedings of the International Workshop on Precipitation Measurement, St. Moritz, Switzerland, 1989. 173–179

  30. Yang D, Shi Y, Kang E, et al. Results of solid precipitation measurement intercomparison in the alpine area of Urumqi River Basin. Chinese Sci Bull, 1991, 36: 1105–1109

    Google Scholar 

  31. Li X, Cheng G D, Chen X Z, et al. Modification of solar radiation model over rugged terrain. Chinese Sci Bull, 1999, 44: 1345–1349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Oerlemans J. Analysis of a 3 year meteorological record from the ablation zone of Morteratschgletscher, Switzerland: Energy and mass balance. J Glaciol, 2000, 46: 571–579

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Greuell W, Oerlemans J. Sensitivity studies with a mass balance model including temperature profile calculations inside the glacier. Z Gletscherkd Glazialgeo, 1986, 22: 101–124

    Google Scholar 

  34. Mölg T, Hardy D R. Ablation and associated energy balance of a horizontal glacier surface on Kilimanjaro. J Geophys Res, 2004, 109, doi: 10.1029/2003JD004338

  35. Bintania R, Van Den Broete M R. The surface energy balance of Antarctic snow and blue ice. J Appl Meteorol, 1995, 34: 902–926

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Wagnon P, Ribstein P, Kaser G, et al. Energy balance and runoff seasonality of a Bolivian glacier. Global Planet Change, 1999, 22: 49–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Kondo J, Yamazawa H. Bulk transfer coefficient over a snow surface. Bound-Lay Meteorol, 1986, 34: 123–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Shi Y F, Huang M H, Ren B H. An Introduction to the Glaciers in China (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press, 1988. 29–54

    Google Scholar 

  39. De Ruyter De Wildt M S, Oerlemans J, Björnsson H. A method for monitoring glacier mass balance using satellite albedo measurements: Application to Vatnajökull, Iceland. J Glaciol, 2002, 48: 267–278

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Wang N L, Zhang S B, He J Q, et al. Tracing the major source area of the mountainous runoff generation of the Heihe River in northwest China using stable isotope technique. Chinese Sci Bull, 2009, 54: 2751–2757

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Wang N L, Yao T D, Tian L D, et al. Climate sensitivity of glacier No.1 at the source of Urumqi River in the Tianshan Mountains (in Chinese). Arid Land Geogr, 1998, 21: 34–40

    Google Scholar 

  42. Wang N L, Zhou Y B. A new Approach of analyzing the influence of climate change on the ELA: Application of grey theory in glaciology (in Chinese). In: Proceeding of the Fifth Chinese Conference on Glaciology and Geocryology (Vol.1). Lanzhou: Gansu Culture Press, 1996. 205–212

    Google Scholar 

  43. Wang N L. Grey relational analysis of the leading climatic factor influencing the changes of equilibrium line (in Chinese). J Glaciol Geocryol, 1995, 17: 8–15

    Google Scholar 

  44. Shi Y F, Shen Y P, Hu R J. Preliminary study on signal, impact and foreground of climatic shift from warm-dry to warm-humid in Northwest China (in Chinese). J Glaciol Geocryol, 2002, 24: 219–226

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster of Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China

    Xi Jiang

  2. State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Xi Jiang, NingLian Wang, JianQiao He, XiaoBo Wu & GaoJu Song

Authors
  1. Xi Jiang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. NingLian Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. JianQiao He
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. XiaoBo Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. GaoJu Song
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to NingLian Wang.

About this article

Cite this article

Jiang, X., Wang, N., He, J. et al. A distributed surface energy and mass balance model and its application to a mountain glacier in China. Chin. Sci. Bull. 55, 2079–2087 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-010-3068-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-010-3068-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation