| Title | Calculation of sensible-heat flux over a melting ice surface using simple climate data and daily measurements of ablation |
| Author | Braithwaite, R.J. |
| Author Affil | Braithwaite, R.J., University of Manchester, School of Environment and Development, Manchester, United Kingdom |
| Source | Mass-balance measurements and modelling, prefaced by P. Janssen and J.O. Hagen. Annals of Glaciology, 50(50), p.9-15, . Publisher: International Glaciological Society, Cambridge, United Kingdom. ISSN: 0260-3055 |
| Publication Date | 2009 |
| Notes | In English. 37 refs. GeoRef Acc. No: 291029 |
| Index Terms | ablation; glacial geology; glaciers; glacier ablation; heat flux; heat transfer; ice; mass balance; melting; meteorology; temperature; velocity; weather observations; wind (meteorology); wind velocity; Canada; Greenland; Arctic region; Canadian Arctic; climate effects; winds |
| Abstract | Sensible-heat flux is obviously important for glacier ablation but is difficult to measure routinely. Sensible-heat flux can be estimated from wind-speed and temperature data using a dimensionless heat- transfer coefficient. Values of the heat- transfer coefficient are evaluated for six sites by correlating measured melt energy with a wind-temperature variable (product of daily mean wind speed, temperature and mean atmospheric pressure for the altitude in question). Data are available for short periods from two sites in Arctic Canada and two sites in North Greenland, and for hundreds of days of record at Nordbogletscher and Qamanarssup sermia in South and West Greenland, respectively. Average transfer coefficients for four out of the six sites are close to 0.003, which is in reasonable agreement with values reported elsewhere, while larger values of 0.0047 and 0.0057 are found at the other two sites. Heat-transfer coefficients are also estimated on a monthly basis for the two long records, and substantial variations are found, suggesting that the method should not be used for ‹20-30 days of data. The present study is based on manually observed ablation and climate data, but the approach could be updated to use data from automatic recording stations using modern sensors. |
| URL | http://www.igsoc.org/annals/50/50/a50a021.pdf |
| Publication Type | journal article |
| Record ID | 63003146 |