Decay of a long-term monitored glacier: Careser Glacier (Ortles-Cevedale, European Alps)

摘要

The continuation of valuable, long-term glacier observation series isthreatened by the accelerated mass loss which currently affects a largeportion of so-called "benchmark" glaciers. In this work we present theevolution of the Careser Glacier, from the beginning of systematicobservation at the end of the 19th century to its current condition in2012. In addition to having one of the longest and richest observationrecords among the Italian glaciers, Careser is unique in the Italian Alps forits 46 yr mass balance series that started in 1967. In the present study,variations in the length, area and volume of the glacier since 1897 areexamined, updating and validating the series of direct mass balanceobservations and adding to the mass balance record into the past using thegeodetic method. The glacier is currently strongly out of balance and inrapid decay; its average mass loss rate over the last 3 decades was1.5 m water equivalent per year, increasing to 2.0 m water equivalent peryear in the last decade. Although these rates are not representative at aregional scale, year-to-year variations in mass balance show an unexpectedincrease in correlation with other glaciers in the Alps, during the last3 decades. If mass loss continues at this pace, the glacier willdisappear within a few decades, putting an end to this unique observationseries.