Blatter Heinz
The impact of proglacial lakes on the retreat of Alpine glaciers: Rhonegletscher, Switzerland
Project Number: 200020_132251
| Project Type: |
Research_Project |
| Project Duration: |
01/01/2011 - 12/31/2012 |
| Funding Source: |
SNSF , |
| Project Leader: |
Herr Heinz Blatter
Institut für Atmosphäre und Klima (IAC)
ETH Zürich
ETH Zentrum, CHN
Universitätstrasse 16
8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 (0)62 751 10 62 ; +41 (0) 44 633 27 55
FAX: +41 (0) 44 633 10 58
e-Mail: heinz.blatter(at)env.ethz.ch
http://www.iac.ethz.ch/ |
Research Areas:
Disciplines:
Keywords:
glacier, proglacial lakes, calving, basal sliding, numerical model, damage mechanics, glacier retreat, modelling
Abstract:
In a warming climate with many glaciers retreating, proglacial lakes may form if either a moraine dams the water or the terminus retreats across a basal depression. In the Alps, the number of such lakes is expected to increase in the closer future. This introduces an ablation mechanism which formerly was of very little significance on alpine glaciers: Calving into proglacial lakes may enhance mass loss and considerably accelerate glacial retreat. The mechanism finally causing icebergs to break off is not fully understood yet. Calving is strongly related to basal sliding, which in turn is related to the subglacial hydraulics. A better understanding of these process-interactions to better constrain the numerical models is required to enable better prediction of the response of glaciers to climatic warming. Rhonegletscher, Swiss Alps, has recently retreated behind a rock riegel; a proglacial lake started to form for the first time in 2005. In the future an accelerated retreat through a basal depression involving the formation of a calving front is expected. The tongue of Rhonegletscher therefore offers a unique opportunity to study the retreat of an Alpine lake-terminating glacier, the involved fracturing processes and the calving mechanism. Theoretical and modeling research will be combined with field measurements on Rhonegletscher, in order to constrain and validate the obtained models.
Source of Information: NF Import 2011
Last update: 4/24/17
Source of data: ProClim- Research InfoSystem (1993-2024)
Update the data of project: CH-200020_132251
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