When will the Southern European glaciers disappear?

Methods

Summary

In this research we will use a method based on the empirical relation between average basal shear stress and elevation range of individual glaciers to model the ice thickness and the bed topography using Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. For the glacier reconstruction, several authors have demonstrated that the combination of physical-based models supported by geomorphological evidences is a successful method to reconstruct former glaciers. The topography of the former glaciers will be estimated using a simple steady-state model that assumes a perfectly plastic ice rheology, reconstructing the theoretical ice profiles and obtaining the ice thickness in a past period.

Challenges

For the application of the methods described, it is necessary to know the extent of the glaciers. There are some limitations concerning certain areas of some Pyrenean glaciers, which makes it difficult to accurately determine the extent by remote sensing techniques due to the appearance of clouds and shadows in satellite images. In the case of former glaciers, the most used geomorphological elements to determine their extension are the moraines. Therefore it is necessary to perform field work in order to determine with the maximum accuracy the location of these moraines.