Combining glaciological field surveys and high-resolution regional climate modelling to assess variability in accumulation and melt on glaciers of the Pamir mountains

Abstract ID: 3.12691
|Review Result Accepted as Talk
|Abstract registered Abstract is registered
|Presentation Time Slot TBA
|Presentation Location TBA
Faïn, X. (1)
María, S.-O. (1); Charles, A. (1); Martin, M. (1); Fanny, B. (1); Christopher, M. (2); Astrid, L. (2); and Patrick, W. (1)
(1) Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, G-INP, IGE, 38000 Grenoble, France
(2) Geodesy and Glaciology, Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Munich, Germany
How to cite: Faïn, X.; María, S.-O.; Charles, A.; Martin, M.; Fanny, B.; Christopher, M.; Astrid, L.; and Patrick, W.: Combining glaciological field surveys and high-resolution regional climate modelling to assess variability in accumulation and melt on glaciers of the Pamir mountains, International Mountain Conference 2025, Innsbruck, Sep 14 - 18 2025, #IMC25-3.12691, 2025.
Categories: Atmosphere
Keywords: Regional Modeling, High Mountain Asia, Glacier mass balance
Categories: Atmosphere
Keywords: Regional Modeling, High Mountain Asia, Glacier mass balance
Abstract

In the Pamir Mountains exist some of the largest glaciers in the whole High Mountain Asia, covering extensive areas at high elevations. Recent glacier mass balance conditions in this region are considerably less negative than in most other parts of the world, which is widely known as the “Pamir-Karakoram anomaly”. However, it is particularly challenging to estimate long-term climate trends in the Pamir area, because of both the scarcity of observational data and the lack of performances of atmospheric models over glacierized areas of complex topography. To address these challenges, the regional climate model MAR has been used to generate a high-resolution atmospheric reanalysis covering the last decades for the Pamir mountains. The model is driven at its upper and lateral boundaries by ERA5 reanalyses, and is calibrated and validated using both local observations and remote sensing. Specifically, a recent field campaign has gathered new meteorological and glaciological data from various high-altitude sites on the Fedchenko Glacier. These efforts aim to enhance our understanding of glacier mass balance dynamics in the Pamir mountains, contributing valuable insights given the region’s unique climatic conditions and terrain challenges.