Mass Balance & Thermal Regime

Question 1

What is Mass Balance?

Answer 1

Net gain or net loss from a system.

Question 2

What is latent heat flux?

Answer 2

The heat that is produced through a reaction

Question 3

What 2 things does sublimation cause?

Answer 3

Wind scour and calving

Question 4

Name 3 characteristics of a maritime glacier

Answer 4

Faster flow, steeper gradient and more accumulation and ablation.

Question 5

The case Study for marine terminating.

Answer 5

Frans Josef:

Very steep and responsive, drops 15km from 3,800 meters to sea level.

Question 6

Case Study for land terminating.

Answer 6

Tasman, NZ.

• lower precipitation, flow and gradient
• less responsive. Shallow wedge.

Question 7

Response times of Greenland and Maritime glaciers

Answer 7

Greenland = 1500-3000 years
Maritime = 15-60 years

Question 8

What is thermal regime?

Answer 8

Warm based/ cold based glaciers

Question 9

Controls of basal ice temperatures

Answer 9

Weight & thickness of ice
Friction
Geothermal processes
Regelation (re freezing meltwater)

Question 10

Maritime climate:

Answer 10

Cold winter air freezes, base remains warm. Thicker ice = lower pmp

Question 11

Cold based Case Study

Answer 11

Taylor, Antarctica

• never reach pmp
• down glacier warms

Question 12

Warm based Case Study

Answer 12

D’Arolla, Switzerland

• water available at all depths
• faster flow due to water availability.

Question 13

Poly-Thermal Case Study

Answer 13

Svalbard

• cold ice at top, warm at bottom. Can reverse.
• pmp reached at base.
• half of glaciers in Antarctica are warm or poly thermal