Definition
Debris thermal properties. The thermal conductivity of the debris, which varies with mineralogy, porosity, and moisture content. In this chapter, the thickness of the debris layer is also discussed as a factor of thermal properties.
Introduction
Debris layers often cover the surface of ablation zones in valley glaciers surrounded by steep, bare rock walls (Debris-Mantled Glacier Snouts). Because supraglacial debris affects the transfer of heat between the atmosphere and ice surface, the ice melt rates under these layers depend on the thermal properties (e.g., debris thickness, thermal conductivity, and heat capacity) of the debris as well as the meteorological conditions on the glacier. This means that the methodologies for observing and estimating mass balances of debris-free glaciers cannot be applied to debris-covered glaciers without taking into account the influence of debris on ice melt.
The spatial distribution of debris thermal properties is heterogeneous even in an...
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Suzuki, R. (2011). Debris Thermal Properties and Impact on Ice Ablation. In: Singh, V.P., Singh, P., Haritashya, U.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Snow, Ice and Glaciers. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2642-2_101
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2642-2_101
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