An attempt to simulate historic front variations of Nigardsbreen, Norway (original) (raw)
Summary
Nigardsbreen (Norway) is one of the very few high-latitude glaciers from which a long record of front positions is known (starting in the beginning of the 18th century). In this paper a dynamic glacier model is used to investigate the possible causes of the observed front variations. These variations are characterized by a rapid advance until 1748, and steady retreat, with some minor interruptions, after that time.
Two time series are used as forcing functions that drive the dynamic model: (i) central England summer temperature, and (ii) a tree ring record from northern Sweden. It appears that forcing (i) does not work at all: an almost continuously growing glacier is predicted by the model. Forcing (ii) performs much better, although the maximum glacier extent comes too early.
Interpretation of these results and some additional experiments suggest that the climatic warming after the little ice age has been much more pronounced in western Norway than in England, at least in summer. Winter precipitation in Norway probably decreased gradually during the last centuries.
Zusammenfassung
Nigardsbreen (Norwegen) ist einer der wenigen Gletscher in hohen Breiten, von dem langjährige Aufzeichnungen über die Frontpositionen bekannt sind (seit Anfang des 18. Jahrhunderts). In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird zur Untersuchung der möglichen Ursachen der beobachteten Gletscherfrontveränderungen ein dynamisches Gletschermodell verwendet. Diese Veränderungen sind bis 1748 durch ein rapides Vorrücken und nach dieser Zeit durch einen, mit einigen kleinen Unterbrechungen, stetigen Rückgang gekennzeichnet.
Als Antriebsfunktionen, die das dynamische Modell treiben, werden zwei Zeitreihen verwendet: 1. Die Sommertemperaturen von Mittelengland, und 2. Jahresringaufzeichnungen aus Nordschweden. Es zeigt sich, daß der erste Antrieb überhaupt nicht funktioniert, denn dieses Modell sagt einen fast kontinuierlich wachsenden Gletscher voraus. Der zweite Antrieb funktioniert viel besser, obwohl die maximale Gletscherausdehnung zu früh auftritt.
Die Interpretation dieser Resultate und einige zusätzliche Experimente weisen darauf hin, daß die Erwärmung nach der kleinen Eiszeit im westlichen Norwegen viel ausgeprägter war als in England, wenigstens im Sommer. Der Winterniederschlag hat sich vermutlich in Norwegen während der letzten Jahrhunderte allmählich verringert.
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Authors and Affiliations
- Institute of Meteorology and Oceanography, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands
J. Oerlemans
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Oerlemans, J. An attempt to simulate historic front variations of Nigardsbreen, Norway.Theor Appl Climatol 37, 126–135 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00867846
- Received: 17 July 1986
- Issue date: September 1986
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00867846