THE STUDIES OF SURFACE MASS BALANCE AND ICE FLOW ON GLACIERS AUSTRELOVéNBREEN AND PEDERSENBREEN, SVALBARD, ARCTIC: THE STUDIES OF SURFACE MASS BALANCE AND ICE FLOW ON GLACIERS AUSTRELOVéNBREEN AND PEDERSENBREEN, SVALBARD, ARCTIC

Abstract

The glaciers Austre Lovenbreen and Pedersenbreen are located at Ny-lesund, Svalbard. Based on the observation of first year (2005/2006), surface mass balance and ice flow velocity of both glaciers have been analysed, while the front edge of Austre Lovenbreen has also been surveyed. The results are as following: (1) The net mass balance of Austre Lovenbreen and Pedersenbreen is -0.44 and -0.20 m w.e., respectively. Their annual ablation is -0.99 and -0.94 m w.e., respectively, and corresponding ELA is 478.10 and 494.87m, respectively. (2) Austre Lovenbreen and Pedersenbreen are characterized as ice flow model of surge-type glaciers in Svalbard. The level vectors of ice flow velocity are parallel or converge to the central lines of both glaciers, with slower velocities at the lower ablation area and relatively faster ones at the middle and upper part of glaciers. The mean, maximum and minimum of ice flow velocities on Austre Lovenbreen are 2.28, 3.91 and 0.81 m·a-1, and Pedersenbreen's are 6.74, 8.13 and 5.49 m·a-1. The vertical vectors of ice flow velocity show that there is a mass loss in the ablation area, which weakness with the increase of altitude, while there exists a mass gain near ELA on Austre Lovenbreen. The actual vertical displacement is in accord with the general pattern that motion is downward in the accumulation area, and is, by contrast, upward in the ablation area. (3) The front edge of Austre Lovenbreen has receded at an average rate of 21.83 m.a-1, with maximum 77.30 m.a-1 and minimum 2.76 m.a-1.