The net balance between the accumulation of new snow and ice on a glacier's upper reaches and the ablation, through melting, sublimation and calving, that removes ice lower down, which together determine whether a glacier as a whole is gaining or losing mass over a given year. A glacier with a sustained negative mass balance thins and retreats even if its front continues to flow forward, and monitoring mass balance across the world's glaciers is a principal method for tracking the pace of ice loss under a warming climate.
Facts
Process Type Connections
Sources
1. Glacier Mass Balance (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIntroductionQuote, Introduction
A glacier's mass balance or surface mass balance (SMB), the difference between accumulation and ablation, is crucial to the survival of the glacier. Climate change may cause variations in both temperature and snowfall, causing changes in the surface mass balance.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.