Download - GLIMS: Global Land Ice Measurements from Space

12CHAPTER 2. THE GLIMS - PROJECT AND RELEVANT GLACIER CHARACTERISTICS2.2 Glacier Characteristics2.2.1 Glacier Types and Morphological ZonesTypes of GlaciersThe shape, form, size and the interaction with the local topography denes the typeof a certain glacier. Since the World Glacier Inventory (WGI) exists and containsglacier data in many regions, but still is incomplete, an exchange and share ofthe data with the GLIMS archive is of interest. For this reason the morphologicalglacier parameters in the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) database wereadopted for the GLIMS database. The following categories in glacier classication,according to the WGMS glacier classication system (after Rau et al., 2005) , areused for the GLIMS - Project:- continental ice sheet- ice eld- ice cap- outlet glacier- valley glacier- mountain glacier- glacierete and snoweld- ice shelf- rock glacierIn the Alps the dominant glacier types are the valley and mountain glaciers. Iceelds can be found in many region of the world e.g. in Patagonia and Norway. Icecaps are compact ice masses, which often have outlet glaciers (e.g. Barnes Icecap).The following gures show examples of some glacier types. The glaciers are locatedin Stubaital, in Switzerland, Ötztal and Norway. Figure 2.2a shows the DaunkopfFerner, a glacierete, located in the southern Stubaier Alps. The Daunkopf Ferner isone of those glaciers which split into several parts. 2.2b shows the Habicht Ferner,a cirque glacier, which was split in 2003 into 2 parts but has recovered. In summer,2005, the 2 parts are connected again. 2.2c shows the Daunkogel Ferner on theright side and the Schaufel Ferner on the left side of the picture. Both are mountain