Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Variability In Winter Mass Balance Of Northern Hemisphere Glaciers And Relations With Atmospheric Circulation, Gregory J. Mccabe, Andrew G. Fountain, Mark Dyurgerov

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

An analysis of variability in the winter mass balance (WMB) of 22 glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere indicates two primary modes of variability that explain 46% of the variability among all glaciers. The first mode of variability characterizes WMB variability in Northern and Central Europe and the second mode primarily represents WMB variability in northwestern North America, but also is related to variability in WMB of one glacier in Europe and one in Central Asia. These two modes of WMB variability are explained by variations in mesoscale atmospheric circulation which are driving forces of variations in surface temperature and precipitation. …