Retreat of Hansbreen, Svalbard

On July 15, 2011July 16, 2011 By mspeltoIn Glacier Observations

Hansbreen is tidewater glacier flowing into Hornsund in sw Svalbard. The glacier has been examined in detail over the last twenty years from the Polish Research Station. The glacier has retreated 2.7 kilometers from 1900 to 2008. The chart below from Oerlemans, Jania and Kolandara (2011) illustrates this retreat as does the comparative images from the Polish Research Station. The glacier mass balance has been measured since 1989 and is submitted to the World Glacier Monitoring Service. In a detailed review of this calving glacier Oerlemans, Jania and Kolandra (2011) report that The average surface mass balance has been -0.36 meters per year, but this is equaled by the calving loss, leading to a loss of 0.8 meters per year. The low slope of this glacier 1.6 degrees makes it difficult to reestablish equilibrium as it retreats. The bed of the glacier remains below sea level for at least 70% of its length, note Figure 3 in Oerlemans et al (2011). The glacier retreated 400 meters from 2000-2005, and has continued this rate of recession. In the two side by side Landsat images below from 2001 (right) and 2010 (left) changes are evident at the front of the neighboring Paierbreen-circle, Hansbreen (H) and Nannbreen (A) Focusing just on the Hansbreen a red line from the summit of two adjacent mountains is added to the 2001 and 2010 image to illustrate the terminus change. The 2001 images is on top, 2010 image below.

Retreat of Nannbreen, Svalbard

On July 12, 2011July 12, 2011 By mspeltoIn Glacier Observations1 Comment

Nannbreen is a 5 km long land terminating glacier in southwest Svalbard. The glacier is just north of Hornsund. During the course of the 20th century Nannbreen retreated from its Little Ice Age moraine complex forming a new proglacial lake. The glacier ends at an elevation of 150 meters descending from 600 meters, the snowline in several Landsat images from the last decade has been 400-450 meters. By 2000 (first image below)the glacier had retreated 750 meters from the moraine complex and the glacier ended in a lake, that was over 500 meters long. In 2010 (second image below) the glacier had retreated out of the lake, 250 meters of retreat in 10 years, 1000 meters of retreat in the last century. Certainly the 21st century retreat rate is far above the average 20th century retreat rate. Most of the large glaciers in Svalbard are tidewater calving glaciers, such as the nearby Hansbreen, which retreated 400 meters from 2000-2005. Svalbard glaciers have been losing considerable volume, indicative of negative mass balance and glacier retreat. Nuth et al (2010) concluded that over the past 40 years for Svalbard ice loss is 9.71 ± 0.55 cubic kilometers/year. This is an average thinning of 0.36 meters/year for an annual contribution to global sea level rise of 0.026 mm yr.

Chüebodengletscher and Ghiacciaio del Pizzo Rotondo, Switzerland nearly gone

On July 7, 2011 By mspeltoIn Glacier Observations

Chüebodenhorn is 3,070 meter high in the Lepontine Alps. The Ghiacciaio del Pizzo Rotondo lies at the foot of its north face and Chüebodengletscher is on its south side. Chüebodengletscher is confined to a small cirque, and currently ends in a lake . In several recent years including 2010 the glacier lost all of its snowcover. The glacier is currently 500 meters long and has an elevation range of 75 meters. The lake which fringes the glacier will turn into a circular alpine lake as the glacier melts away. At present the crescent shaped lake is 140 meters wide. The annual layers in this glacier are evident much like tree rings, that the are all emergent at the surface indicates that all the snow and firn that is supposed to cover most of a glacier at the end of the summer, has been lost from all of the glacier. There are at least 75 annual layers evident. The youngest layer (y) is at the top of the glacier and oldest (o) at the bottom.
Ghiacciaio del Pizzo Rotondo is a thin slope glacier. This glacier also has a short elevation span of 80 meters from the terminus to its head in a distance of 500 meters. The glacier is a slope glacier that has little apparent thickness. The glacier will be lost faster than the thicker Chüebodengletscher. Ghiacciaio del Pizzo Rotondo also has lost all of its snowcover, and without a persistent and consistent accumulation zone it cannot survive. These two glaciers are losing mass like many neighboring such as the large Gries Glacier monitored by the In the graph below From the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network the cumulative mass loss of Gries Glacier has been 20 meters. Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network. This mass loss of Swiss Glaciers led to 86 of the 95 glacier observed to retreat, while six were stationary and three advanced. The lack of an accumulation zone indicates that the glaciers will follow the path of Presena Glacier and Dosde Glacier unlike Oberaar Glacier which retains an accumulation zone.

Spectacular Retreat of Melbern Glacier, British Columbia

On July 3, 2011July 28, 2013 By mspeltoIn Glacier Observations

The combined Melbern and Grand Pacific Glacier with a length of 55 km and width of 2-5 km, is a large valley glacier draining from the Saint Elias Mountains near the British Columbia-Alaska boundary. The glacier separates into two distinct glacier termini at Grand Pacific Pass. One of the tongues, Melbern Glacier, flows 20 km northwest ending in . Grand Pacific Glacier flows southeast to Tarr Inlet of Glacier Bay, just across the Alaska boundary. The Melbern Glacier turns north and ends in Lake Melbern. Lake Melbern began to form around 1979 as noted by Clague and Evans (1994). By 1986 the lake had expanded greatly as the former tributary to Melbern Glacier, Konamoxt Glacier had separated, and a 7km retreat of Melbern Glacier from the Konamoxt Glacier had ensued, first image from their paper. Clague and Evansin the second image further note that the ice dam of the Konamoxt Glacier that blocks Melbern Lake had broken by 1991 and the lake level had dropped. The retreat has continued unabated up through 2009. Here we use a series of Landsat images and one Google Earth Image to illustrate the retreat up to 2013. The first is a 1986 Landsat Image, K=Konamoxt and M=Melbern. In this image Konamoxt still blocks Melbern Lake and Melbern Glacier terminates adjacent to another tributary from the south, orange marks the 1986 terminus of both glaciers. The second image is a false color Landsat image from 2001. Konamoxt Glacier extends partly across the lake but not completely. The lake to the northwest of Konamoxt is filled with icebergs. Melbern Glacier has retreated 3 km since 1986. The third image is the Google Earth image also from 2001 showing the 1986 margin as well, in orange and the 2007 terminus in purple. The fourth image is from 2007, indicating a 1.5 km retreat of Melbern Glacier in the last six years. By 2013 the retreat is 2.25 km since 2001 and 5.25 km since 1986. Konamoxt Glacier no longer reaches Lake Melbern proper and is beginning a retreat up its own valley. The lake itself has changed color and lost its fleet of icebergs. The last image is from July 2013 and Lake Melbern is now 20 km long and still expanding.
Melbern Glacier is following the same pattern as nearby Yakutat Glacier and Grand Plateau Glacier. The lower 3 km of the glacier appears stagnant. However, there is a moraine band 10m km above the terminus that has shifted down glacier 1000-1500 meters from 2001 to 2007 as seen in images from those dates below. The green line indicates the moraine position in 2007. This indicates significant flow at this point. Thus, it is evident that retreat will continue on Melbern Glacier, but should slow as either the lake basin is left behind, or the moraine band is approached

BAMS State of Climate 2010-Glacier Chapter

On June 29, 2011 By mspeltoIn Glacier Observations

STATE OF THE
CLIMATE IN
2010 Published June 2011
Below is the chapter that I author on Alpine glacier and ice sheets. The full BAMS report is an invaluable resource for understanding the climate of 2010 and how it fits into the context of climate change and recent climate. The editorial process is rigorous. The picture below is of Lemon Creek Glacier in Alaska, one of the glaciers discussed.
g. Land surface properties
1) Alpine glaciers and ice sheets—M. S. Pelto
The World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) record of mass balance and terminus behavior(WGMS 2008; WGMS 2009) provides a global index for alpine glacier behavior. Mass balance was negative in 2009 for the 19th consecutive year. Preliminary data for 2010 from Austria, Greenland, Italy, Norway,New Zealand, and the United States indicate it is highly likely that 2010 will be the 20th consecutive year of negative annual balances. Alpine glaciers have been studied as sensitive indicators of climate for more than a century, most commonly focusing on changes in terminus position and mass balance (Oerlemans 1994). The worldwide retreat of mountain glaciers is one of the clearest signalsof ongoing climate change (Haeberli et al. 2000). The retreat is a reflection of strongly negative mass balances over the last 30 years (WGMS 2008). Glacier mass balance is the difference between accumulation and ablation. A glacier with a sustained negative balance is out of equilibrium and will retreat. The recent rapid retreat has led to some glaciers disappearing (Pelto 2010).

The cumulative mass balance loss of the last 30 years is 12.3 m w.e., the equivalent of cutting a 14 m thick slice off the top of the average glacier (Fig. 2.60). The trend is remarkably consistent from region to region (WGMS 2009). WGMS mass balance results based on 30 reference glaciers with 30 years of record are not appreciably different from the results for all reporting glaciers. The decadal mean annual mass balance was -198 mm in the 1980s, -382 mm in the 1990s, and -654 mm for 2000–09. The declining mass balance trend during a period of retreat indicates alpine glaciers are not approaching equilibrium and retreat will continue to be the dominant terminus response.

In 2010 winter accumulation on Austrian and Italian glaciers was about average, and summer temperature was above the mean in 2010. The result was mass losses on glaciers in the Alps: Sonnblickkees, Austria, -790 mm; Ciardoney, Italy, -830 mm; and Fontana Bianca, Italy, -130 mm. The Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network reported that in 2010 the termini of 86 glaciers were in retreat, six were stationary, and three advanced. In Norway, terminus fluctuation data from 30 glaciers for 2010 indicate 27 retreating, one stable, and two advancing. The average terminus change was -17 m, compared to -183 m in 2009. Mass balance surveys found deficits on all Norwegian glaciers. Winter 2009/10 was cold but with little snow on the glaciers, 50%–80% of the long-term normal. Summer was warmer than normal in the south and a bit colder than normal in the north. (L. Andreasson 2011, personal communication).

In the North Cascades, Washington (M. Pelto 2011, personal communication), a transition from El Niño to La Niña conditions led to equilibrium mass balances. El Niño winter conditions led to reduced winter snowfall. La Niña conditions developed by summer causing low summer melting, which offset the low accumulation. The result was positive annual balance on four glaciers, negative balance on five glaciers, and an equilibrium balance on one glacier. All 33 glaciers observed retreated in 2010. In southeast Alaska, snowlines were 50 m above average on Lemon Creek and Taku Glacier of the Juneau Icefield indicative of moderate negative balances. In New Zealand, El Niño led to normal to below normal temperatures through summer and into fall 2010, leading to snowlines in a near steady state (J.Hendrikx 2011, personal communication). On 50 glaciers surveyed, the average snowline was at the equilibrium snowline elevation, after two strongly negative years in 2008 and 2009.

For information on 2010 ice melt on the Greenland ice sheet and in Antarctica please refer to sections 5f and 6e, respectively.

Fig. 2.60. The (top) annual mean and cumulative annual mean balance and (bottom) decadal mean cumulative
specific mass balance (mm w.e.) reported for the 30 reference glaciers to the WGMS.

Brady Glacier Retreat Leads to Rapid Lake Expansion 2004-2010

On June 27, 2011June 6, 2013 By mspeltoIn Glacier Observations

This post details changes in Brady Glacier between the 2004 Google Earth imagery and a 2010 Landsat image and that are examined in more detail by (Pelto et al, 2013). A detailed look at retreat up to 2004 is detailed in a previous post on Brady Glacier.. Brady Glacier is a large glacier at the south end of the Glacier Bay region, Alaska. When first seen by George Vancouver it was a calving tidewater glacier in 1794 filling Taylor Bay with ice. Brady Glacier ceased calving and advanced approximately 8 km during the 19th century (Klotz, 1899). As Bengston (1962) notes, the advance is likely another example of an advance following a change from tidal to non-tidal status rather than that of a more positive mass balance. Bengston (1962) further notes that the massive outwash plain at the terminus is primarily responsible for Brady glacier maintaining itself well other glaciers in the Glacier Bay region retreat. The ELA on this glacier is 800 m, the line above which snow persists even at the end of the average summer, this is one of the lowest in Alaska. The main terminus was still advancing in the 1960’s and 1970’s and has managed a 250-300 meter advance since the USGS map of the 1950’s. The main terminus is not advancing any longer and has begun to retreat, the retreat to date is less than 300 meters. The glacier has been thinning and this has caused many of the subsidiary termini to retreat significantly.
There have been significant changes cause by continued retreat since 2004. For North Tripp Lake, labelled A in images. The glacier lake has separated into two parts since 2004, at the red arrow in the images below, as the glacier margin has pulled back an additional 250 meters. The lake level has dropped resulting in this separation. The drop in elevation is due to drainage south from the lake adjacent to the glacier underneath and beside the glacier, instead of solely to the west. This new drainage path was evident in the 2004 image and noted in the previous post. The color of the two lakes is markedly different, the deeper blue of the lake more distant from the glacier indicates less glacier eroded material in suspension. . Deception Lake, labelled B, has expanded by 500 meters as the glacier has retreated this same amount. At this rate this lake may soon follow the pattern of North Tripp Lake. Across the glacier, an unnamed arm, labeled C has begun to disintegrate. The white arrows in the 2010 image indicate the new open lake area. The area of this lake is now 1.5 square kilometers. North of Lake C is Abyss Lake, labelled D, this lake has expanded due to the 240 meters of retreat of the glacier in the 2004-2010 period. . To the west of Brady Glacier an unnamed glacier arm that used to join a branch of the Brady Glacier has now retreated fully from lake created by its retreat. Note point A in the time sequence below. The retreat from 1950 to 2004 was 3600 meters northeast up the lake basin, top image map from 1950, middle image Google Earth 2004. From 2004 to 2010 the glacier has retreated an additional 600 meters the retreat turning the elbow and now progressing northwest, bottom image 2010 Landsat image. Clearly the Brady Glacier thinning as indicated by tributaries on both its east and west side, continue do demonstrate that a rapid retreat of the main terminus will begin.

Index of Glacier Posts June 2009-June 2011

On June 25, 2011June 26, 2011 By mspeltoIn Glacier Observations1 Comment

New Zealand
Tasman Glacier
Murchison Glacier
Donne Glacier
Africa
Rwenzori Glaciers
Himalaya
Zemu Glacier, Sikkim
Theri Kang Glacier, Bhutan
Zemestan Glacier, Afghanistan
Khumbu Glacier, Nepal
Imja Glacier, Nepal
Gangotri Glacier, India
Satopanth Glacier, India
Menlung Glacier, Tibet
Boshula Glaciers, Tibet
Urumquihe Glacier, Tibet
Sara Umaga Glacier, India

Europe
Mer de Glace, France
Dargentiere Glacier, France
Obeeraar Glacier, Austria
Ochsentaler Glacier, Austria
Pitzal Glacier, Austria
Dosde Glacier, Italy
Maladeta Glacier, Spain
Presena Glacier, Italy
Triftgletscher, Switzerland
Rotmoosferner, Austria
Stubai Glacier, Austria
Ried Glacier, Switzerland
Forni Glacier, Italy
Peridido Glacier, Spain
Engabreen, Norway
Midtdalsbreen, Norway
TungnaarJokull, Iceland
Gigjokull, Iceland
Skeidararjokull, Iceland
LLednik Fytnargin, Russia
Rembesdalsskaka, Norway

Greenland
Mittivakkat Glacier
Ryder Glacier
Humboldt Glacier
Petermann Glacier
Kuussuup Sermia
Jakobshavn Isbrae
South America
Colonia Glacier, Chile
Artesonraju Glacier, Peru
Nef Glacier, Chile
Tyndall Glacier, Chile
Zongo Glacier, Bolivia
Llaca Glacier, Peru
Seco Glacier, Argentina
Antarctica and Circum Antarctic Islands
Pine Island Glacier
Fleming Glacier
Hariot Glacier
Amsler Island
Stephenson Glacier, Heard Island
Neumayer, South Georgia
Ampere, Kerguelen

North Cascade Glacier Climate Project Reports

Forecasting Glacier Survival
North Cascade Glacier Mass Balance 2010
Columbia Glacier Annual Time Lapse
North Cascade Glacier Climate Project 2009 field season

Retreat of Columbia Glacier, Columbia Icefield, Canada

On June 23, 2011May 28, 2014 By mspeltoIn Glacier Observations

The Columbia Glacier drains west from Columbia Icefield into British Columbia. The glacier in 1964 was 8.5 km long, by 1980 9.5 km long and in 2009 6.5 km long. The glacier drops rapidly from the plateau area over a major ice fall, which created a series of ogives, as seen in this 1964 Austin Post (USGS) photograph. Ogives are annual wave bulges that form at the base of an icefall due to differential seasonal flow velocity. The outermost moraine emplaced by the glacier is dated to 1724. By 1924 the glacier retreated 400 meters and then an additional 1300 meters by 1950, according to Ommaney, 1980 (page 225 of link). Ommaney (page 251) noted that the glacier than advanced over one kilometer from 1966 to 1980 the glacier again completely fill the large proglacial lake. A comparison of 1985 and 2009 Landsat images indicates the change in terminus position and lake size. The yellow arrow is the 1985 terminus, red arrow the 2009 terminus and pink arrow 2013. The black lines in the 2009 image are scan line errors. There is a 3000 meter retreat in the 25 years and 300 meters from 2009-2013. The lake is now 4 km long. Tennant and Menounos (2013) examined changes in the Columbia Icefield 1919-2009 and found a mean retreat of 1150 m and mean thinning of 49 m.

1985 Landsat image

2009 Landsat image

2013 Landsat image

That is 120 meters per year 1985-2009, and 75 m per year 2009-2013. By 2001 satellite imagery indicates a proglacier lake that is 2700 meters long ending at the terminus (top image). In the 2004 Google Earth image the terminus had retreated 300 meters, middle. In 2009 Landsat imagery indicates a further 500 meter retreat. In the images below the yellow line is the 1964 terminus, orangeis 2001, blue is 2004 and green is 2009. Thus, Columbia Glacier, British Columbia has retreated at least 800 meters in the last decade (bottom image). A further change is noted in the absence of ogives at the base of the icefall. As the icefall has narrowed and slowed the result has been a cessation of this process. The current terminus is still active with crevassing near the active front. The glacier does lose ice to calving as the glacier reaches the end of the depression filled by the lake, its rate of retreat should slow. At the current retreat rate that will be within the next 10-20 years. Examining the surface elevations and crevasse patterns of the lower glacier, there is no sign that the lake will not continue to expand for at least another kilometer.

Menlung Glacier Retreat, Tibet Glacier Moraine Dammed Lake Expansion

On June 18, 2011February 16, 2012 By mspeltoIn Glacier Observations

Menlung Glacier is one valley north of the Tibetan border with Nepal and on the south side of Menlungste Peak. Menlung Glacier has a glacier lake at its terminus that is dammed by the glaciers moraine (27.95 N, 86.45 E). The glacier began to withdraw from the moraine and the lake form after the 1951 expedition to the area. The glacier lake is at 5050 meters, the glacier descends from 7000 meters with the snowline recently around 5500 meters. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency has a side by side 1996 and 2007 satellite imagery that indicates the Menlung Glacier Lake developing in 1996 that still has remnant ice masses in it, that are gone by 2007. In Landsat imagery from 1992 the lake is still developing from a system of supraglacial lakes. Turning to better imagery available to the public in Google Earth in 2005 the lake has a contiguous area of with a length of 1100 meters and width of 700 meters (top). The lake rapidly expanded to a length of 1900 meters by 2009. The glacier retreat is 500 meters, the other 300 meters of expansion is a continued growth at the moraine end of the lake as ice cored moraine continues to melt (bottom). The lake is now substantial and still growing rapidly, with the rapidly melting terminus (black arrow). A look at the glacier surface indicates a large stream on the surface of the glacier that extends 2000 meters up glacier from the terminus (green arrow). This type of feature can only form on stagnant ice, otherwise movement generating crevasses would give a path for the stream to drain to the glacier bottom as is typical. The snowline in this 2009 image is at the blue arrow. . The retreat and lake expansion parallels that seen at Theri Kang and Imja Glacier.

Chickamin Glacier, Alaska Extensive Retreat

On June 12, 2011June 12, 2011 By mspeltoIn Glacier Observations2 Comments

Chickamin Glacier in southeast Alaska has undergone a 3 kilometer retreat since 1955. The glacier drains south from an icefield near Portland Canal and straddling the border with British Columbia. The glacier ended on an outwash plain in 1955 at 250 meters. The Through Glacier at this time is a large tributary feeder joining Chickamin at the elbow where it turns west, (bottom image) Shortly thereafter a lake began to form, and by 1979 a Landsat image indicates a lake that is 1300 meters long. A this point the Through Glacier is just barely in contact with Chickamin Glacier. . By 2004 in an Ikonos image the glacier has retreated 1400 meters from the 1979 position, top image. This image is from the USGS and has been further annotated. In a 2009 Geoeye image the glacier has receded an additional 300 meters, 3000 meters since 1955. Just as impressive is the retreat of Through Glacier that now terminates 1500 meters from its former Junction with Chickamin Glacier. This separation and retreat has occurred during a period of higher snowlines in the region. The snowline of the glacier has averaged 1200 meters in recent years, 100 meters higher than before, and the summit of the glacier is at 2000 meters. The retreat and thinning of this glacier follow that of Sawyer Glacier, Gilkey Glacier and Lemon Creek Glacier . The current terminus region indicates considerable rifting in the lower 500 meters indicating this will be rapidly lost, note the red arrow. The blue arrow indicates a zone below which the glacier appears stagnant with no active crevasse features. The green arrow indicates the transition to a zone of active flow and crevassing. At meters kilometers above the terminus a basin has developed, orange arrow, this is filled periodically becoming a lake, which then drains beneath this glacier. This lake and basin will continue to expand.

Tyndall Glacier, Chile Retreat Continues

On June 10, 2011June 10, 2011 By mspeltoIn Glacier Observations

Tyndall Glacier is a large outlet glacier of the Southern Patagonia Icefield (SPI). This glacier has an area of over 300 square kilometers. The main glacier terminus ends in Lago Geikie, which began to form around 1940, and the east terminus previously terminated in Lago Tyndall. Raymond et al (2005) report that the glacier had receded 5 km from 1945 to 2001. The retreat is illustrated in a figure from Rivera & Casassa (2004). This web page on the Tyndall Glacier is one of many provided by Andrés Rivera at the Laboratorio de Glaciología at Universidad de Chile. Assessing the ice surface elevation changes on three profiles 8-15 km above the terminus, the amount of thinning was determined by Raymond et al (2005). From 1945-2002 the average thinning rate of the glacier at meters was 2.3 meters per year. The rate has accelerated averaging over 3.3 meters per year since 1985. This has driven the retreat. Lago Geikie is a deep lake with maximum depths reaching 400 meters and was 300 meters at the calving front in 2001 Raymond et al (2005) . This allows for considerable calving of the thick Tyndall Glacier, which is grounded on the bottom of the lake at its terminus. The glacier velocity near the calving front is 700 meters per year. A comparison of the terminus position from the aforementioned papers, Google Earth from 2003 (top Image) and a Geoeye image from 2010 (bottom image) indicates the changes of Tyndall Glacier are ongoing. Lago Tyndall (LT) for example is continuing to contract as the terminus (TE) that feeds it has thinned and pulled back from the valley that feeds it. Increasingly this is becoming a watershed that will not be fed by Tyndall Glacier. Lago Geikie (LG) continues to expand now 7 km long. The retreat in the last 7 seven years has been 600-900 m on the main calving front. This has exposed a new peninsula (P). The glacier terminus is much narrower than in 1975 in an aerial image from Raymond et al (2005). The snowline on the glacier is at 900 meters and there is considerable glacier area above 1200 meters, indicating this glacier can survive additional warming, note the above image. As Raymond et al (2005) emphasized the glacier bottom remains below the Lago Geikie lake level for 14 km. Over much of this distance calving would play a role, helping continue the recent retreat. This retreat due to calving into a glacier lake resulting from ongoing glacier thinning resulting from increased surface ablation is widespread from Bear Glacier, Gilkey Glacier and Yakutat Glacier in Alaska, to Tasman Glacier in NZ to Nef Glacier and Colonia Glacier in

Ampere Glacier Retreat Kerguelen Island

On June 5, 2011April 27, 2014 By mspeltoIn Glacier Observations1 Comment

Kerguelen Island sits alone at the edge of the furious fifties in the southern Indian Ocean. he island features numerous glaciers, the largest being the Cook Ice Cap at 400 square kilometers. A comparison of aerial images from 1963 and 2001 by Berthier et al (2009) indicated the ice cap had lost 21 % of its area in the 38 year period. T In this paper they focused particular attention on the Ampere Glacier draining the southeast side of the ice cap. Berthier et al (2009) noted a retreat from 1963 and 2006 of 2800 meters of the main glacier termini in Ampere Lake. The lake did not exist in 1963. The map below is from the paper indicating the terminus position. A second focus of their work was on the Lapparent Nunatak due north of the main terminus and close to the east terminus. A nunatak is a ridge or mountain surrounded by a glacier, really an island in a sea of ice. The nunatak expanded from 1963-2001, in the middle image below from Berthier et al (2009), but it was still surrounded by ice. The bottom image is from Google Earth in 2003. Given our current climate I wondered what might have changed in the last few years. Landsat images from 2001, 2009, 2011 and 2013 indicate the retreat of the main terminus at the orange arrow and the secondary terminus at the red arrow. The east terminus has retreated 1500 meters since 2003 leading to the expansion of a new substantial lake. The main terminus has retreated additionally 800 meters from 2001-2013. Here the terminus has pulled back from the tip of the peninsula on the west side of the terminus, which the orange arrow crosses in each image. This glacier is experiencing the same climatic warming that has led to the retreat of other glaciers in this circum-Antarctic latitude belt, Arago Glacier further south on Kerguelen, nearby Aggasiz Glacier Stephenson Glacier on Heard Island and Neumayer Glacier on South Georgia. In this ever changing world, it is melting that is changing our maps.
2001 Landsat image

2009 Landsat image