Inverse solution of surface mass balance of Midtre Lovenbreen, Svalbard

摘要

We investigate the temporal evolution and spatial distribution of mass balance on the glacier Midtre Lovenbreen, Svalbard. Running a diagnostic high-resolution full-stress ice flow model with geometries obtained from five digital elevation models (DEMs) in the period 1962-2005, we compute velocity fields and linearly interpolated volume change of the glacier. We evaluate the kinematic free surface equation using these model outputs to solve the surface mass balance (SMB). Monitoring data on Midtre Lovenbreen allows model results to be compared with point measurements from the glacier over several decades. This method allows us to estimate the mass balance over the entire glacier surface, beyond the spatially limited field measurements, and to derive past SMB over an extended time period.