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Mass balance of Obruchev Glacier (the Polar Urals) in 1963–2016
https://doi.org/10.7868/S2412376526030020
Abstract
The results of mass balance measurements of the Obruchev Glacier in the Polar Urals conducted using the geodetic methods between 1963 and 2016 are presented. Digital elevation models (DEMs) of the glacier surface for 1963, 2008, and 2016 were used for this purpose. The source materials included a 1963 topographic plan at a scale of 1:5000, data from the 2008 DGPS survey, and a DEM dated August 21, 2016, from the ArcticDEM v4.1 collection. From 1963 to 2916, the Obruchev Glacier shrank in size. Its area decreased from 0.30 ± 0.01 km<sup>2</sup> in 1963 to 0.24 ± 0.01 km<sup>2</sup> in 2008 and to 0.22 ± 0.01 km<sup>2</sup> in 2016. The long-term average mass balance of the Obruchev Glacier for the entire observation period is negative and amounts to −382 ± 54 mm w.e. In 2008–2016, the rate of mass loss increased significantly (–707 ± 237 mm w.e. per year), compared to 1963–2008 (–371 ± 59 mm w.e. per year). The primary cause of the glacier’s shrinkage throughout the observation period 1963–2016 is the increase in summer air temperatures and changes in the radiation balance of the warm period. Meanwhile, total solid precipitation amounts are characterized by high interannual variability but do not show any clear trends.
About the Authors
A. Ya. MuravievRussian Federation
Moscow
G. A. Nosenko
Russian Federation
Moscow
A. N. Shein
Russian Federation
Salekhard
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Supplementary files
For citation: Muraviev A.Y., Nosenko G.A., Shein A.N. Mass balance of Obruchev Glacier (the Polar Urals) in 1963–2016 Ice and Snow. 2026;66(3):434–445. https://doi.org/10.7868/S2412376526030020
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