#massbalance — Public Fediverse posts

Glacier Mass Balance Response To Extreme Precipitation Events In The Western Himalaya, India
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2026.105643 <-- shared paper
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H/T @pramod Kumar
“This work highlight that the large interannual variability in glacier mass balance is largely associated with fluctuations in accumulation and ablation driven by extreme precipitation events across the Himalaya. These events can temporarily offset annual ice losses by enhancing snow accumulation…”
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“HIGHLIGHTS:
• Annual-to-decadal relationships between glacier surface mass balance and extreme precipitation events (EPEs) were identified and analyzed for the western Himalaya.
• Although negative mass balance dominates in the region, extreme precipitation events (0–5/year) are linked to less negative and positive mass balance years through increased snowfall.
• NAO/AO phases increase Western Disturbance frequency/intensity, promoting accumulation; Western Disturbances (60.2%) control EPEs with wintertime snowfall.
ABSTRACT: Extreme precipitation events can drive anomalous snow accumulation on Himalayan glaciers, thereby affecting short-term variations in mass balance. Over the past five decades, an accelerated mass loss of Himalayan glaciers has been observed, making it critical to assess the role of precipitation, particularly extreme events in modulating glacier health. This study compiles 182 in situ glacier-wide mass-balance observations from 26 glaciers in the western Himalaya, India, from 1974 to 2023. Observing an alarming negative cumulative mass balance of around −26 ± 1.67 m w.e., with more frequent years in recent decades showing negative mass balance exceeding −1.5 m w.e. / a, highlights the ongoing severity of glacier mass loss. However, over several years, there have been relative mass-balance gains or reduced losses, often linked to extreme precipitation events (EPEs), with annual fluctuations between 0 and 5 events. Cross-correlation analysis supports this, showing a direct response of glacier mass balance to EPEs variability. The EPEs are mainly fed by moisture supply from Western Disturbances (60.2%), followed by the Indian Summer Monsoon (16.4%), cyclogenesis (6.3%), and WD–cyclogenesis interactions (4.6%), while other synoptic systems account for the remaining ∼12%, together driving strong moisture convergence and severe precipitation episodes. These synoptic drivers determine the frequency and intensity of EPEs and influence the precipitation phase snow versus rain, thus impacting accumulation and melt processes differently. Statistical evidence indicates that EPEs temporarily increase accumulation, counteracting seasonal mass losses in certain years with moderate same-year sensitivity…”
#Glacier #massbalance #extremeweather #precipitation #WesternHimalaya #WesternDisturbances #IndianSummer #Monsoon #cyclogenesis #rainfall #Himalaya #India #interannual #variation #accumulation #ablation #extremeprecipitation #snowfall #snowaccumulation #glacierhealth #cryosphere