Ice flow modelling to constrain the surface mass balance and ice discharge of San Rafael Glacier, Northern Patagonia Icefield

• DOI: 10.1017/jog.2018.46
• Publication Date: 2018-07-02T09:00:44Z
• Authors: GABRIELA COLLAO-B...; FABIEN GILLET-CHA...; VINCENT FAVIER; GINO CASASSA; ETIENNE BERTHIER; INÉS DUSSAILLANT; JÉRÉMIE MOUGINOT; ERIC RIGNOT
• Keywords: Ice field; Glacier mass balance; Glacier morphology; Accumulation zone; Glacier ice accumulation

ABSTRACT We simulate the ice dynamics of San Rafael Glacier (SRG) in Northern Patagonia Icefield (46.7°S, 73.5°W), using glacier geometry obtained by airborne gravity measurements. The full-Stokes flow model (Elmer/Ice) is initialized an inverse method to infer basal friction coefficient from a satellite-derived surface velocity mosaic. high velocities (7.6 km −1 ) near front are explained low shear stresses (<25 kPa). modelling results suggest that 98% due sliding fast-flowing tongue (>1 ). force different mass-balance scenarios taken or adapted previous studies and geodetic elevation changes between 2000 2012. Our estimates average mass balance over entire ( Ḃ were likely too high, mainly overestimation accumulation area. propose most SRG imbalance large discharge (−0.83 ± 0.08 Gt slightly positive (0.08 0.06 committed mass-loss estimate next century −0.34 0.03 . This study demonstrates wastage projections can be improved physically based model.