Université de Fribourg

A Bayesian ice thickness estimation model for large-scale applications

Werder, Mauro A. ; Huss, Matthias ; Paul, Frank ; Dehecq, Amaury ; Farinotti, Daniel

In: Journal of Glaciology, 2020, vol. 66, no. 255, p. 137–152

Accurate estimations of ice thickness and volume are indispensable for ice flow modelling, hydrological forecasts and sea-level rise projections. We present a new ice thickness estimation model based on a mass-conserving forward model and a Bayesian inversion scheme. The forward model calculates flux in an elevation-band flow-line model, and translates this into ice thickness and surface ice...

Université de Fribourg

The bedrock topography of Gries- and Findelengletscher

Feiger, Nadine ; Huss, Matthias ; Leinss, Silvan ; Sold, Leo ; Farinotti, Daniel

In: Geographica Helvetica, 2018, vol. 73, no. 1, p. 1–9

Knowledge of the ice thickness distribution of glaciers is important for glaciological and hydrological applications. In this contribution, we present two updated bedrock topographies and ice thickness distributions for Gries- and Findelengletscher, Switzerland. The results are based on ground-penetrating radar (GPR) measurements collected in spring 2015 and already-existing data. The GPR...

Université de Fribourg

The bedrock topography of Starbuck Glacier, Antarctic Peninsula, as determined by radio-echo soundings and flow modeling

Farinotti, Daniel ; King, Edward C. ; Albrecht, Anika ; Huss, Matthias ; Gudmundsson, G. Hilmar

In: Annals of Glaciology, 2014, vol. 55, no. 67, p. 22–28

A glacier-wide ice-thickness distribution and bedrock topography is presented for Starbuck Glacier, Antarctic Peninsula. The results are based on 90 km of ground-based radio-echo sounding lines collected during the 2012/13 field season. Cross-validation with ice-thickness measurements provided by NASA's IceBridge project reveals excellent agreement. Glacier-wide estimates are derived using a...

Université de Fribourg

A consensus estimate for the ice thickness distribution of all glaciers on Earth

Farinotti, Daniel ; Huss, Matthias ; Fürst, Johannes J. ; Landmann, Johannes ; Machguth, Horst ; Maussion, Fabien ; Pandit, Ankur

In: Nature Geoscience, 2019, vol. 12, no. 3, p. 168–173

Knowledge of the ice thickness distribution of the world’s glaciers is a fundamental prerequisite for a range of studies. Projections of future glacier change, estimates of the available freshwater resources or assessments of potential sea-level rise all need glacier ice thickness to be accurately constrained. Previous estimates of global glacier volumes are mostly based on scaling...

Université de Fribourg

Distributed ice thickness and volume of all glaciers around the globe

Huss, Matthias ; Farinotti, Daniel

In: Journal of Geophysical Research, 2012, vol. 117, p. F04010

A new physically based approach for calculating glacier ice thickness distribution and volume is presented and applied to all glaciers and ice caps worldwide. Combining glacier outlines of the globally complete Randolph Glacier Inventory with terrain elevation models (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission/Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer), we use a simple dynamic model to...

Université de Fribourg

The European mountain cryosphere: a review of its current state, trends, and future challenges

Beniston, Martin ; Farinotti, Daniel ; Stoffel, Markus ; Andreassen, Liss M. ; Coppola, Erika ; Eckert, Nicolas ; Fantini, Adriano ; Giacona, Florie ; Hauck, Christian ; Huss, Matthias ; Huwald, Hendrik ; Lehning, Michael ; López-Moreno, Juan-Ignacio ; Magnusson, Jan ; Marty, Christoph ; Morán-Tejéda, Enrique ; Morin, Samuel ; Naaim, Mohamed ; Provenzale, Antonello ; Rabatel, Antoine ; Six, Delphine ; Stötter, Johann ; Strasser, Ulrich ; Terzago, Silvia ; Vincent, Christian

In: The Cryosphere, 2018, vol. 12, no. 2, p. 759–794

The mountain cryosphere of mainland Europe is recognized to have important impacts on a range of environmental processes. In this paper, we provide an overview on the current knowledge on snow, glacier, and permafrost processes, as well as their past, current, and future evolution. We additionally provide an assessment of current cryosphere research in Europe and point to the different...

Université de Fribourg

From dwindling ice to headwater lakes: could dams replace glaciers in the European Alps?

Farinotti, Daniel ; Pistocchi, Alberto ; Huss, Matthias

In: Environmental Research Letters, 2016, vol. 11, no. 5, p. 54022

The potential exploitation of areas becoming ice-free in response to ongoing climate change has rarely been addressed, although it could be of interest from the water management perspective. Here we present an estimate for the potential of mitigating projected changes in seasonal water availability from melting glaciers by managing runoff through reservoirs. For the European Alps we estimate...

Université de Fribourg

Future shifts in extreme flow regimes in Alpine regions

Brunner, Manuela I. ; Farinotti, Daniel ; Zekollari, Harry ; Huss, Matthias ; Zappa, Massimiliano

In: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 2019, vol. 23, no. 11, p. 4471–4489

Extreme low and high flows can have negative economic, social, and ecological effects and are expected to become more severe in many regions due to climate change. Besides low and high flows, the whole flow regime, i.e., annual hydrograph comprised of monthly mean flows, is subject to changes. Knowledge on future changes in flow regimes is important since regimes contain information on both ...

Université de Fribourg

Glacier runoff variations since 1955 in the Maipo River basin, in the semiarid Andes of central Chile

Ayala, Álvaro ; Farías-Barahona, David ; Huss, Matthias ; Pellicciotti, Francesca ; McPhee, James ; Farinotti, Daniel

In: The Cryosphere, 2020, vol. 14, no. 6, p. 2005–2027

As glaciers adjust their size in response to climate variations, long-term changes in meltwater production can be expected, affecting the local availability of water resources. We investigate glacier runoff in the period 1955–2016 in the Maipo River basin (4843 km2, 33.0–34.3∘ S, 69.8–70.5∘ W), in the semiarid Andes of Chile. The basin contains more than 800 glaciers, which...