From a Glacier's Perspective

September 14, 2017

Sulztalferner Retreat, Austria Bedrock Expansion Mid-Glacier

Sulztalferner in Landsat images from 1990 and 2017. Red arrow is the 1990 terminus, yellow arrow the 2017 terminus, purple dots the snowline and the green arrow an area of emergent bedrock amidst the glacier. Sulztalferner is a glacier in the Subaier Alps of Austria. The glacier begins at 3200 m below Daunkogel Peak and descends north from the peak. Schlicker (2006) identified that between 1969 and 2003, 14 of the 88 …

January 28, 2012

Hallstatter Glacier, Austria retreat

The Hallstatter Glacier (also sometimes called Dachstein Glacier along with the Gosau Glacier) is on the north slope of Dachstein an area of heavy recreational use. The result is good photographic records of glaciers change. This record combined with a recent cooperative project between University of Innsbruck, Blue Sky Weather Analysis and Energie AG Upper Austria provides a good snapshot of glacier change in northern Austria. The glacier begins at …

April 7, 2011

Ochsentaler, Austria Rapid Glacier Retreat

Ochsentaler is a glacier in the Silvretta group of southwest Austria. From 1990 to 1995 the glacier retreated 75 meters, from 1995-2000 85 meters, and from 2000-2005 180 m. The accelerating retreat has been driven by substantial negative mass balances. Dyugerov and others (2009) assessed the mass balance of the glacier as averaging -0.5 meters per year lost, from the percentage of snowcovered area remaining at the end of the …

February 11, 2010

Rotmoosferner Retreat and Dynamic Change

There are currently 51 glaciers in the Ötztal Nature Park. Right now, glaciers cover 27% of the total area of the Ötztal Nature Park. All have been retreating, from 1987-2006. Detailed mapping of these glaciers and Rotmoosferner by Abermann and others (2009), University of Innsbruck provide interesting results. Ötztal glaciers lost 8 % of their total area. One of the glaciers that has a long record of observation is Rotmoosferner. …