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)
Tages Anzeiger (Switzerland) Wie Schutt die Gletscherschmelze beeinflusst (Language: DE)
Der Standard (Austria) Herumliegender Schutt lässt Gletscher langsamer schmelzen (Language: DE)
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教育 新闻 网 岩屑毯为冰川提供了更多的保护 使其免受气候变化的影响 (Language: CMN)
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Hirado.hu A svájci Erdő, Hó- és Tájkutatási Szövetségi Intézet (WSL) első alkalommal vizsgálta meg műholdak segítségével, milyen mértékben fedi kőtörmelék a gleccsereket. (Language: HU)
ORIGO A gleccserek felét törmelék borítja (Language: HU)
Eurasia Review Rock Debris Protects Glaciers From Climate Change More Than Previously Known
Innovations Report Rock debris protects glaciers from climate change more than previously known
AAAS EurekAlert! Rock debris protects glaciers from climate change more than previously known
ScienceDaily Blanket of rock debris offers glaciers more protection from climate change than previously known
Swissinfo.ch British-Swiss study reveals more glacier-shielding rock debris
WSL-Institut für Schnee- und Lawinenforschung SLF Eine Decke aus Gestein schützt Gletscher besser als vermutet vor dem Klimawandel (Language: DE)
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Sam Herreid

glaciologist, runner, musician, writer

My research interests include rock debris on glaciers, advancing regional to global scale glacier modeling and restructuring the financing of climate science.