ID:
publications-2362
Type:
Peer reviewed articles
Year:
2018
Authors:
Dirk Scherler, Hendrik Wulf, Noel Gorelick
Title:
Global Assessment of Supraglacial Debris-Cover Extents
Venue/Journal:
Geophysical Research Letters
DOI:
10.1029/2018gl080158
Research type:
Impact of P inputs on source-sink P dynamics of sediment along an agricultural ditch network
Water System:
River Basins
Technical Focus:
Abstract:
AbstractRocky debris on glacier surfaces influences ice melt rates and the response of glaciers to climate change. However, scarce data on the extent and evolution of supraglacial debris cover have so far limited its inclusion in regional to global glacier models. Here we present global data sets of supraglacial debrisācover extents, based on Landsat 8 and Sentinelā2 optical satellite imagery. We find that about 4.4% (~26,000Ā km2) of all glacier areas (excluding the Greenland ice sheet and Antarctica) are covered with debris, but that the distribution is heterogeneous. The largest debrisācovered areas are located in highāmountain ranges, away from the poles. At a global scale, we find a negative scaling relationship between glacier size and percentage of debris. Therefore, the influence of debris cover on glacier mass balances is expected to increase in the future, as glaciers continue to shrink.
Link with Projects:
759639
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