PAST 200 YEARS


1. Glacier Change


 


OVERVIEW OF GLACIAL CHANGE IN PAST 200 YEARS

 Up until around the end of the nineteenth century, the earth was in the midst of a cooler period known as the Little Ice Age. During this
time the cryosphere extended it's grasp on the earth. There was glacial expansion in most areas and the mean temperature was about 1 degree celsius cooler than the mean today.
 After the end of the Little Ice Age around 1890, the earth began to experience a period of overall glacial retreat related to warmer temperatures and a negative glacial balance cycle. In most parts of the world the glaciers that influence albedo and other parts of climate are
disappearing. Of course there are anomalies and Scandinavia is one of them. Due to an increased maritime flow there , year round, the
accumulation is greater than the ablation (erosive processes that shrink glaciers) and consequently, the glaciers are growing.

 The data obtained comes from recorded observations, tree ring records and ice core samples. There is a fairly good complete record that
can be obtained from these sources for the past 200 years. The reasoning for the increase of glacial retreat is thought to be
increased solar radiation as well as increased temperatures due to buildup of greenhouse gases that commenced with the start of the Industrial Revolution.
 Please see some of the links off of this website for more information on glacial change on the past 200 years as well as some photos of glaciers, both past and present.

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/

http://www.antcrc.utas.edu/antcrc/seaice/seaice.html

http://tawny.bu.edu/JandJ/Journal/SCAN/960616/html
 This is a good site for photos.

http://www.xstall.nl/~pal/svartise.html

http://www-nsidc.colorado.edu/NOAA/glacier_inventory

http://www.geo.unizh.cg/wgms/mbb

http://www.natgeo.su.se/naturogeo/glaciologi/home.html

http://www.flag.wr.usgs.gov/GLIMS/glimshome/html
 
 
 



 
 

1.1 Summary Table

Name b94 [mm] b95 [mm] ELA94 [m a.s.l.] ELA95 [m a.s.l.] ELA0 [m a.s.l.] AAR94 [%] AAR95 [%] AAR0 [%]
Helm (1975) Canada - 1885 - 1465 >21792) >21792) 2014 0 0 35
Peyto (1966) Canada - 1295 - 300 2754 2675 2625 28  43 53
Place (1965) Canada - 2010 - 2486 2445 >26102) 2088 4 0 48
White (1960) Canada - 314 - 362 1325 1204 898 28 46 71
Gulkana (1966) USA - 640 - 1070 1769 1824 1727 57 50 63
Wolverine (1966) USA - 680 - 500 1198 1180 1156 61 63 62
South Cascade (1953) USA - 1020 - 690 2005 1945 1890 11 25 58
Chacaltaya (1992) Bolivia - 1107 - 1524 5320 5320 - 4 0 -
Zongo (1992) Bolivia - 650 - 1250 5300 5350 - 58 53 -
Hofsjökull North (1988)Iceland + 80 - 680 1250 1330 1269 50 38 48
Hofsjökull Southwest (1989)Iceland - 740 - 1170 1310 1345 1258 34 27 41
Hofsjökull East (1989)Iceland - 180 - 800 1155 1285 1161 59 47 56
Brúarjökull (1993) Iceland + 550 - 342 1140 1260 - 67 52 -
Dyngjujökull (1992)Iceland + 190 + 20 1250 1310 - 71 60 -
Eyjabakkajökull (1991) Iceland + 460 - 420 1045 1145 - 61 44 -
Thrándarjökull (1991)Iceland + 400 - 990 1020 >12402) - 74 0 -
Austre Brøggerbreen (1967) Norway - 160 - 780 310 500 275 48 8 55
Midtre Lovénbreen (1968) Norway - 120 - 790 270 500 294 66 6 60
Kongsvegen (1987) Norway + 500 - 350 400 650 540 78 28 54
Hansbreen (1989) Norway + 222 - 418 240 400 300 71 25 54
Storsteinsfjellbreen (1991) Norway - 210 + 570 1375 1280 - 57 74 -
Engabreen (1970) Norway + 420 + 1700 1080 940 1163 76 91 58
Okstindbreen (1987) Norway - 170 + 460 1310 1275 1295 61 69 64
Austdalsbreen (1988) Norway - 70 + 620 1425 1360 1430 69 80 62
Ålfotbreen (1963) Norway + 780 + 1200 925 1120 1193 99.5 79 56
Nigardsbreen (1962) Norway + 560 + 1190 1400 1320 1559 87 91 59
Gråsubreen (1962) Norway 0 - 110 2070 2180 2127 40 11 30
Storbreen (1949) Norway - 250 - 150 1800 1810 1709 39 35 60
Hellstugubreen (1962) Norway + 70 - 120 1860 1885 1834 59 53 58
Hardangerjøkulen (1963) Norway + 160 + 300 1610 1575 1664 82 85 68
Riukojietna (1986) Sweden - 295 + 253 1410 1287 1352 26 85 54
Mårmaglaciären (1990) Sweden - 340 + 100 1619 1521 1571 23 59 42
Storglaciären (1946) Sweden - 370 + 700 1500 1400 1462 41 57 45
Rabots glaciär (1982) Sweden - 100 + 80 1350 1351 1358 57 57 53
Saint Sorlin (1959) France - 340 + 750 - - - - -
Sarennes (1949) France - 630 + 760 - - - - - -
Silvretta (1960) Switzerland - 460 + 370 2912 2704 2767 24 70 53
Gries (1962) Switzerland - 760 - 70 2953 2799 2833 48 67 58
Sonnblickkees (1959) Austria - 1385 + 141 2950 2720 2738 9 70 60
Sonnblickkees (1959) Austria - 1617 - 414 3170 2940 2786 5 32 44
Vernagtferner (1965) Austria - 1028 - 400 >36502) 3226 3083 22 40 67
Ochsentalferner (1991) Austria - 980 + 50 2990 2845 - 34 63 -
Vermuntgletscher (1991) Austria - 1450 - 240 >31502) 2845 - 4 41 -
Kesselwandferner (1953) Austria - 830 + 140 3240 3080 3102 33 78 71
Hintereisferner (1953) Austria - 1110 - 460 3145 3080 2921 31 53 66
Jamtalferner (1989) Austria - 830 - 150 >31502) 2820 - 18 63 -
Caresèr (1967)Italy - 1740 - 1080 >33302) >33302) 3094 19 0 48
Fontana Bianca (1984)Italy - 955 - 682 >34402) >34402) - 0 0 -
Maladeta (1992) Spain + 351 - 643 3028 3075 - 49 31 -
Lewis3) (1979) Kenya - 1920 - 450 45002) 4810 4795 0 46 58
Kozelskiy (1973) Russia - 670 - 230 1730 1680 1464 37 45 51
No. 125 (Vodopadniy) (1977) Russia - 210 + 50 3240 3210 3213 68 72 65
Maliy Aktru (1962) Russia - 150 + 160 3230 3200 3138 67 75 71
Leviy Aktru (1977) Russia - 360 - 30 3250 3130 3153 56 67 60
Garabashi (1987) Russia - 430 - 10 3890 3850 3794 48 55 60
Djankuat (1968) Russia - 840 + 40 3330 3190 3191 44 62 60
Kara-Batkak (1957) Kirghizstan - 505 - 515 3900 3950 3847 49 54 56
Abramov (1968) Kirghizstan - 750 - 780 4250 4240 4153 46 44 59
Ts. Tuyuksuyskiy (1957) Kazakhstan - 443 - 587 3820 3820 3740 44 31 54
Urumqihe S. No. 1 (1959) China - 378 - 228 4058 4035 4026 40 50 55

1) Numbers in brackets behind the glacier names indicate the beginning of continuous mass balance records.
2) Above glacier maximum elevation.
3) Note that the balance year here starts in March of the year indicated.
 
 


2 Desertification


 



  • One of the most interesting areas of the world that has undergone many climate changes in past 200 years is Africa.
  • Most of the detailed information of climate change has been taken in the past 100 years
  • Some of the earliest cave paintings show a land with hippos, lions, trees, and boats.
  • Lake Chad, one of the biggest in africa is now less than one hundredth its size of 4000 B.C.
  • Learned earlier that deserts exist on the edge of the tropics both north and south of the equator.
  • the Sahel, a semi dry region in africa, had above average rainfall in the 1950’s and early 1960’s
  • farming spread into those areas and population exploded
  • monsoons come in from South Atlantic, wetting the coast, diminishing towards the Sahara desert
  • when the drought of the 70’s hit, the line of desert had grown about 100 km from 1958
  • Human demand for firewood contributed to the problem, cutting trees down
  • Reasons for desertification in Africa