Snow Ice and Climate Final

What is mass balance, what does a positive/negative mass balance mean, and how do you compute it in m.w.e.

• Mass balance is total accumulation minus total ablation

• A positive mass balance more accumulation than ablation (gaining mass)

• A negative mass balance is more ablation than accumulation (losing mass)

• mass balance is calculated in terms of meters/snow water equivalent

  • depth (meters) x density of snow or ice/ density of water

how do you compute a mass balance gradient

change in mass balance (absolute value) change in z (absolute value of the change in altitude)

what is glacier hypsometry

distribution of glacier across elevations which influences how sensitive a glacier is to climate change. more mass in accumualtion zones are less sensitive.

when is the hydrologic year for the southern hemisphere?

start of april though end of march (end of summer to end of winter)