The state of rock debris covering Earth’s glaciers

Abstract

Rock debris can accumulate on glacier surfaces and dramatically reduce glacier melt. The structure of a debris cover is unique to each glacier and sensitive to climate. Despite this, debris cover has been omitted from global glacier models and forecasts of their response to a changing climate. Fundamental to resolving these omissions is a global map of debris cover and an estimate of its future spatial evolution. Here we use Landsat imagery and a detailed correction to the Randolph Glacier Inventory to show that 7.3% of mountain glacier area is debris-covered and over half of Earth’s debris is concentrated in three regions, Alaska (38.6% of total debris-covered area), Southwest Asia (12.6%) and Greenland (12.0%). We use a set of new metrics including stage, the current position of a glacier on its trajectory towards reaching its spatial debris cover carrying capacity, to quantify the state of glaciers. Debris cover is present on 44% of Earth’s glaciers and prominent (>1.0 km2) on 15%. 20% of Earth’s glaciers have a substantial percentage of debris cover for which net stage is 36% and the bulk of individual glaciers have evolved beyond an optimal moraine configuration favorable for debris cover expansion. Use of this dataset in global scale models will enable improved estimates of melt over 10.6% of the global glacier domain.

A summary of this paper written in accessable language for the Nature Sustainability Community “Behind the Paper” series is available here.

The state and evolution trajectory of Earth's glaciers.

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Phys.org Blanket of rock debris offers glaciers more protection from climate change than previously known
Jungfrau Zeitung (Switzerland) Hälfte der Gletscher weltweit mit Schutt bedeckt (Language: DE)
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ORIGO A gleccserek felét törmelék borítja (Language: HU)
Eurasia Review Rock Debris Protects Glaciers From Climate Change More Than Previously Known
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Swissinfo.ch British-Swiss study reveals more glacier-shielding rock debris
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Sam Herreid

שמואל הריד

Glaciologist, comedy writer, musician, runner.