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Glaciers in the Earth’s Hydrological Cycle: Assessments of Glacier Mass and Runoff Changes on Global and Regional Scales

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Abstract

Changes in mass contained by mountain glaciers and ice caps can modify the Earth’s hydrological cycle on multiple scales. On a global scale, the mass loss from glaciers contributes to sea-level rise. On regional and local scales, glacier meltwater is an important contributor to and modulator of river flow. In light of strongly accelerated worldwide glacier retreat, the associated glacier mass losses raise concerns over the sustainability of water supplies in many parts of the world. Here, we review recent attempts to quantify glacier mass changes and their effect on river runoff on regional and global scales. We find that glacier runoff is defined ambiguously in the literature, hampering direct comparison of findings on the importance of glacier contribution to runoff. Despite consensus on the hydrological implications to be expected from projected future warming, there is a pressing need for quantifying the associated regional-scale changes in glacier runoff and responses in different climate regimes.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants from NSF (EAR 0943742, EAR 1039008) and NASA (NNX11AO23G, NNX11AF41G). H. Feilhauer assisted with Fig. 2.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

    Valentina Radić

  2. Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA

    Regine Hock

  3. Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden

    Regine Hock

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  1. Valentina Radić
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  2. Regine Hock
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Correspondence to Valentina Radić.

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Radić, V., Hock, R. Glaciers in the Earth’s Hydrological Cycle: Assessments of Glacier Mass and Runoff Changes on Global and Regional Scales. Surv Geophys 35, 813–837 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-013-9262-y

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