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2011•Journal of GlaciologyOpen access

A surge of North Gasherbrum Glacier, Karakoram, China

Christoph Mayer, A. C. Fowler, Astrid Lambrecht, Kilian Scharrer

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Abstract

Abstract Between 2003 and 2007, North Gasherbrum Glacier on the northeastern slope of the Karakoram mountains in Asia underwent a dramatic acceleration, during which a velocity wave propagated down the glacier. There was a significant transfer of ice from up-glacier downstream, which resulted in a strong surface elevation increase over the lower tongue, but only a moderate advance of the glacier snout. We interpret this behaviour as that of a glacier surge, and we explain the observations by means of a simple version of the Kamb drainage-switching theory.

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Abstract Between 2003 and 2007, North Gasherbrum Glacier on the northeastern slope of the Karakoram mountains in Asia underwent a dramatic acceleration, during which a velocity wave propagated down the glacier. There was a significant transfer of ice from up-glacier downstream, which resulted in a strong surface elevation increase over the lower tongue, but only a moderate advance of the glacier snout. We interpret this behaviour as that of a glacier surge, and we explain the observations by means of a simple version of the Kamb drainage-switching theory.

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Available abstract

Abstract Between 2003 and 2007, North Gasherbrum Glacier on the northeastern slope of the Karakoram mountains in Asia underwent a dramatic acceleration, during which a velocity wave propagated down the glacier. There was a significant transfer of ice from up-glacier downstream, which resulted in a strong surface elevation increase over the lower tongue, but only a moderate advance of the glacier snout. We interpret this behaviour as that of a glacier surge, and we explain the observations by means of a simple version of the Kamb drainage-switching theory.

Key concepts: Geology, Glacier, Surge, Ice tongue, Glacier morphology, Glacier ice accumulation, Tidewater glacier cycle, Elevation (ballistics)

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