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Enigmatic ice recession on a sub-tropical glacier, Pico de Orizaba, Mexico

Conference Paper · February 2013

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Blake P Weissling
University of Texas at San Antonio
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Blake Weissling
Michael Lewis
Background
From the United Nations Environment Programme:

World’s glaciers are in

rapid decline
Question: Given the
unique climatology of
Glacier changes
constitute a key element
tropical glacier
for global climate- systems, where do
related monitoring the tropical glaciers
of the world fit into
Continued glacier melt this ice decline
could lead to the scenario.
deglaciation of many
mountain regions within
decades with severe
impacts on human
activities and welfare
From World Glacier Monitoring Service
Tropical glaciers background
Qori Kali Glacier, Peru
Tropical glaciers definition criteria (Kaser, 1995; Kaser et al., 1996)
Must occur in the astronomical tropics between -23.5° and 23.5°
latitude (radiative delimitation)
Must occur within extent of Inter Tropical Convergence Zone
(ITCZ) (hygric delimitation)
Diurnal temperature variation exceeds annual mean daily
(seasonal) variation (thermal delimitation)

Marin Glacier,
Irian Jaya,
New Guinea Mt. Kilimanjaro, East Africa
El Pico de Orizaba (Citlaltépetl)
5,636 meters (18,490 ft) summit1
3rd highest peak in North America
2nd most prominent volcanic peak in
the world
Highest tree line in the world2 (east
slopes) at ~ 4600 m

Tropic of Cancer

Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt

Pico de Orizaba
Coordinates
19°01′48″N 97°16′12″W
Northern extend of ITCZ
Geology of Citlaltépetl
STRATOVOLCANO created in 3 main eruptive stages:
Torrecillas volcano (0.65 million years ago) – collapsed forming a
3.5 km wide caldera
Espolón de Oro cone (0.21 million years ago)- explosive
eruptions, cone collapsed around 20,000 years ago
Citlaltépetl cone
(current) formed
during a number of
effusive events starting
about 9,000 years ago
Most recent major
eruption was in 1687,
minor eruption in
1800’s
First Study of the Gran Glaciar Norte
Comprehensive survey by Lorenzo (1964) conducted during
the International Geophysical Year 1957-58
Estimated total area at 9.5 square kilometers (major error!)
Estimated max. thickness of 50+ meters (from view in
crevasses)
1958

April 2010 looking toward summit

Recent work
Satellite and aerial imagery analysis for extent change
Ground penetrating radar surveys for ice thickness change
Temperature profiling (18 month record) at multiple elevations
Seasonal snow line delineation from satellite and ground-
based photography
Equilibrium line altitude (ELA)* and 0° isotherm elevation
assessment from temperature record

* May not apply to tropical glaciers in the same sense as it does to temperate glaciers
Extent change results
1955-8 Areal extent
1968 (1958) – 1.93 km2
1978 (2003) – 0.74 km2
1986
1996 Change for period
2003 of record
2011
~ 62%
Temperature profiling results

Abrupt temperature changes within a week of

the fall/spring equinox likely indicate a
transition in the radiation balance
Temperature profiling results
Winter (dry season) fluctuations of temp at
1400 m elevation indicates prevalence of
frontal systems arriving from higher latitudes
A consistently varying diurnal lapse rate calculated from the 1400 m
station to the mountain stations allowed for the filtering of daytime
temperature spikes from direct solar radiation on sensors
Temperature profiling results
1400 m record shows arrival of 2 frontal air
masses, with minimal effects in the high mountain
environment

Middle of winter dry season

Elevation
1400 4207 4408 4605 4799 5212
Mean T (°C) 18.81 2.49 0.48 -2.04 -3.00 -5.53
1 SD 4.66 3.62 3.64 3.57 4.06 4.30
 Avg. temp 0° isotherm
Period @ 5212 m elevation (m)
May-10 -0.3 5150 Beginning of wet season; warmest month of the year
Aug-10 -0.5 5125 Middle of wet season; 2nd wettest month of the year
Nov-10 -8.4 4220 Beginning of dry season
Feb-11 -5.5 4410 Middle of dry season

Calculation of 0°
isotherm elevation
Ikonos Image – May 2003
April 20, 2010
Ikonos Image – May 2003
Anomalous ice surface features conjectured to be water ice
Appears to be emanating from crevasses

The model
 Thank you
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